New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has issued a strongly worded statement criticising remarks made by a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to address unscripted press conferences at home or abroad. The guild said the official’s explanation was “deeply flawed” and that his remarks amounted to “glib platitudes”.The statement issued on Thursday (July 16), signed by Sanjay Kapoor, Raghavan Srinivasan and Teresa Rehman, the president, general secretary and treasurer of the EGI, respectively, pointed out that leaders in a democracy “must remain accountable to the public through independent media”.Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Rudrendra Tandon said during a media briefing in New Zealand on Friday (July 10) that Modi had not held a press conference during his visit as he was “a quintessential Indian politician” who preferred communicating directly with voters.Tandon claimed that Indian voters were predominantly “rural” and that Modi did not prefer to address them through “intermediaries”. He also claimed that voters “preferred direct contact” over any form of mediation.Rejecting the claims, the EGI said that elected leaders are expected to answer questions from both urban and rural citizens on pressing political and economic issues. It said that one-way communication, especially through social media, cannot substitute for engagement with independent journalists.Referring directly to the prime minister’s silence on the energy crisis in the wake of the war in West Asia, the statement said, “The truth is that he [Modi] has been reluctant to share his views on this gargantuan crisis with any kind of media.”The guild also cautioned public officials against making remarks that undercut press freedom and free speech in India. “The EGi calls on officials in high offices to refrain from such glib platitudes, which only serve to have a further chilling effect on free speech and media freedom,” it said.During Modi’s visit to New Zealand as well as to Australia and Europe, local news coverage highlighted that he consistently avoids press conferences, opting instead for tightly managed public appearances. During his Europe tour, journalists in Norway and the Netherlands publicly asked why Modi did not take questions alongside other world leaders.Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, who had previously questioned Modi on the issue, welcomed the renewed international scrutiny, saying it was encouraging to see foreign journalists continuing to discuss concerns over press freedom in India. She remarked that reporters from countries with strong press freedom traditions have a responsibility to raise such questions when world leaders visit.The MEA official’s remarks have also drawn political criticism at home. As The Wire earlier reported, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that while bureaucrats serve the government of the day, the explanation offered was “not democratically defensible”. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also criticised the episode, saying it made a “joke” out of Indian media.In Australia as well, Sky News questioned the large diaspora event held for Modi in Melbourne, saying it was “not diplomacy, but politics.” There were comparisons to the 2019 “Howdy Modi” event in Houston, United States, where Modi publicly endorsed Donald Trump’s election campaign. That itself had attracted intense criticism for crossing into another country’s domestic politics, including when Trump lost that election.