Threats – Journalists

After Maharashtra journalist Nikhil Wagle criticised the politics of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar, the VBA’s official Twitter handle said it would be “difficult to control the anger” of those who support the party unless the journalist proves his allegations against Ambedkar.

The party’s remarks came while social media handles appearing to be the VBA’s supporters threatened and trolled the journalist. A VBA spokesperson, however, denied that the party’s official handle or any of its office-bearers had engaged in issuing any threat to the journalist.

The trolling began on January 26 when Wagle, who has over four decades of experience in the news sector, posted a series of tweets questioning Ambedkar, who is also Dr BR Ambedkar’s grandson, over his previous refusal to join hands with the NCP-Congress-Sena (Uddhav) combine, called the Maha Vikas Aghadi. In an interview on local outlet Max Maharashtra’s YouTube channel the same day, Wagle also claimed that Ambedkar seemed to be an opportunist and allegedly functioned like a dictator within his own party.