Barkha Dutt getting threats from 'powerful' people in establishment

Senior journalist Barkha Dutt on Thursday said she has been receiving "chilling veiled threats" from certain quarters in the government to stop her from undertaking any new project in television journalism.

She posted a series of tweets on the microblogging site, claiming to have received threats "from those associated with the ruling party".

She also tagged Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore in one of her tweets, urging him to take note of the threats that she has been receiving.

"Received chilling veiled threats and messages from powerful people in the Establishment today that my family and I are under surveillance - and that I will be smeared & maligned to stop me from starting any new projects. Was advised to get my house debugged. Is this my country?" she tweeted.

"Over the last few months those associated with the ruling party have warned me - politely, impolitely - not to work on new TV projects and told me - "we will never allow them to happen", today I was told a 45 minute meeting held on how to stop me, smear me, malign me, tap me (sic)," she claimed.

Barkha Dutt, who quit NDTV last year, is reportedly working on a project to start her own news channel. She, however, is yet to make an official statement in this connection.

Senior NDTV journalist Ravish Kumar and independent journalist Rana Ayyub had also recently accused the ruling BJP of orchestrating systematic online and offline harassment.

"I never thought the day would come when in my own country, I would be told to hire private security & get my house debugged. I suppose i should be ready for phone taps, IT cases, ED raids, death threats - the meeting held by those who wield power have said - Stop her work projects," Barkha Dutt tweeted.

"I hope @Ra_THORe as I& B Minister takes notes of chilling threats conveyed to me on the plans within on how to stop me from working in TV news. And if the government is tapping my phones and bugging my house- it is grossly illegal and a violation of my privacy. Thank you," she said.