Facing backlash amid the 2002 Gujarat riots, then Chief Minister Narendra Modi wrote a letter to a prominent Gujarati newspaper, reportedly appreciating its coverage of the incident. The same coverage had been termed as a “clear violation of all accepted norms of media ethics” by an Editors Guild of India report.
The next year, the Modi government launched its flagship initiative: Vibrant Gujarat, a glittering investor summit designed to rebrand the state as a business destination. But the same newspaper called it a flop. Gujarat Samachar didn’t stop there. It noted that the CM’s convoy contained more cars than the Vice-President of India's entourage.
More would follow later, from a court battle over government ads to boycotts. Several journalists in Gujarat allege that even the latest official action against premises linked to the paper is part of the same feud. The Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate had searched premises linked to Gujarat Samachar and arrested co-owner Bahubali Shantilal Shah – an action which Shah’s brother and co-owner Shreyansh Shantilal Shah described as “targeted”.
However, media reports quoting official sources say the case pertains to alleged financial fraud and money laundering. The ED probe was reportedly linked to a 2016 case of alleged misuse of IPO funds. However, the ED and IT are yet to officially divulge the reason behind the action.
The ED’s public relations officer, Satyavrat Kumar, had told Newslaundry on May 17 that a press release would be issued in the matter. No such press release has been issued yet. We reached out to Kumar for comment. This report will be updated if he responds.
Newslaundry also reached out to Income Tax spokesperson V Rajitha for comment. This copy will be updated if a response is received.
Run-ins with parties in power
Gujarat Samachar, established nearly a century ago, is published by Lok Prakashan Limited, which also operates a news channel called GSTV. As of 2017, Gujarat Samachar had a readership of 117.8 lakh, though this dipped in 2019, and is India’s most read Gujarati newspaper.
It also has a long history of run-ins with the BJP.
Early on October 15, 2003, a four-page ‘newspaper’ reached different districts of Gujarat. Its name was Gujarat Satya Samachar and it looked exactly like Gujarat Samachar, from its masthead to the font.
A news article published in The Indian Express that day reported that Gujarat Satya Samachar was printed by Gujarat’s Information Department. Its 12 lakh copies were printed and newspaper vendors claimed they were forced to distribute each copy. It seemed to mock the media, especially Gujarat Samachar. The director of the Information Department was named as its editor – the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
A Scroll piece recalled that prominent Ram Kathakar Morari Bapu had tried to broker peace between the Modi government and Shreyansh Shah, but this peace was fragile as Gujarat Samachar always maintained its anti-establishment stance.
This has been Gujarat Samachar’s positioning even before the BJP government was in Gujarat. In 1985, the ‘anti-reservation’ movement was in full swing in Gujarat, which later resulted in communal violence. Even the office of Gujarat Samachar was set on fire. Some tried to draw a link between the incident and the newspaper’s criticism of the then Chief Minister Madhav Singh Solanki and Congress leaders. Due to the fire, the publication of the newspaper was stalled for almost a week. Shreyansh Shah in an editorial declared the paper will not back down.
Then came the years of friction between the paper and the BJP government.
The BJP’s Gujarat office has stopped sending its spokespersons to debate shows on GSTV for the last one and a half years. Gujarat BJP convener Yagnish Dave told Newslaundry, “That is because Isudan Gadhvi, the Aam Aadmi Party state president, does a show on Gujarat Samachar. Apart from his show, there are no other programmes on the news channel.”
Journalists associated with Gujarat Samachar say that apart from Gadhvi, there are many shows on GSTV and BJP spokespersons do not participate in them either. So GSTV often leaves a panellist’s chair vacant on its screen, with a label that reads ‘Empty chair for a BJP leader’.
Co-owner Shreyansh Shah told Newslaundry that the agencies are “harassing” them as the government wants the media outlet “to follow their line”. He said Gujarat Samachar has “no religion” and whatever is printed is based on an “issue” and not a “person”.
“Advertisements have been banned many times, Congress has also banned them, BJP has also banned them. See, for the government, this is the only instrument. Six years ago we went to court regarding government advertisements. After the court’s order, the Gujarat government started giving us advertisements. It has happened twice that we had to go to court for advertising. After the court's order, the Gujarat government started advertising. But it has stopped again,” he said.
“There is no tussle…The only thing is that their expectation is that the newspaper should praise them. I do not have any grudges for Modi in my heart. Modi even praised us in 2014.”
Editorial stance
The paper’s recent pieces had questioned PM Narendra Modi’s handling of national security, his failure to visit victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, and an investigation on the Gujarat government’s continued business ties with Turkey, an ally of Pakistan, despite national calls for a boycott.
While the mainstream media hailed PM Modi for the recent ceasefire with Pakistan, Gujarat Samachar raised several questions about the government’s action in its editorial titled ‘People want answers, why ceasefire with Pakistan?’ on May 12.
Referring to the Pahalgam attack, the editorial said, “The Prime Minister was on a trip to the Gulf countries at that time [during the Pahalgam terror attack]. He stopped his trip and returned to India early. He called a meeting at the airport itself. It was shown that some action plan was underway. But this did not happen. The next day he went to Bihar. Addressed a rally. There he talked about the Pahalgam attack but did not go to the site of the incident nor did he meet the victims or their families.”
It criticised the Indian government for accepting Pakistan's proposal for a ceasefire, adding that in 1971, Indira Gandhi had divided Pakistan into two parts. “Modi has more power and capability than that. He could also have divided Pakistan into two parts, but why did he not do so?”
Amidst the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, the X handles (formerly Twitter) of many media channels were banned at the behest of the Government of India. Gujarat Samachar was also one of them.
On May 17, the Indian government announced seven all-party delegations to travel to key partner countries to convey India’s message of zero tolerance against terrorism. Former Minister of State for External Affairs and journalist MJ Akbar’s name was also included in one of these groups. Akbar’s inclusion was criticised by Indian women journalists, with the Network of Women in Media issuing a statement opposing this inclusion.
On May 19, Gujarat Samachar published an article titled “MJ Akbar’s return to PM Modi's team after MeToo allegations, had to leave the ministerial post seven years ago”.
Following Operation Sindoor and the subsequent conflict between India and Pakistan, Turkey had openly supported Pakistan. Several universities had announced a boycott with Turkish entities considering the public mood. On May 19, the newspaper published an article that claimed that Turkish companies had heavily invested in Gujarat. For example, a Turkish company, considered a leader in the construction sector, was playing an important role in public-private projects in Gujarat. “If Turkish companies want to invest in Gujarat, the state government is ready to provide land and subsidies,” the article read.
On May 12, Gujarat Samachar reported how 70,000 babies died in the last five years in Gujarat, a state hailed for its development model. GSTV ran reports on villagers struggling with water scarcity for months together, and corruption in road construction.
On May 14, 2024, a Gujarat Samachar report highlighted unemployment in Gujarat in the backdrop of the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat investors’ summit. The report alleged that during the recruitment process for 12,272 posts for police sub-inspector and Lokrakshak, the Police Recruitment Board has received more than 15 lakh applications for this, revealing the degree of unemployment in Gujarat.
Reached for comment, Gujarat BJP spokesperson Jairaj Singh Parmar insisted there is no animosity between Gujarat Samachar and BJP. “But they always run negative news. The government also does some good work. They should show that too. The people of Gujarat are with the BJP,” he said.
Newslaundry also reached out to PM Modi’s office for comment. This piece will be updated if his office responds.
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