Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The brazen attack on the Express team investigating illegal properties owned by Delhi politicians does not surprise us. Such strong-arm tactics are entirely in character with a mafia that has bent every bye-law in the book to build empires, even as the country8217;s Capital was run to the ground. For the first time in decades, they are actually feeling the heat. The intimidation we have faced as a newspaper is heartening evidence of that. We, on our part, will keep the heat on.
This demolition story is not about the poor being deprived of a roof over their head, although some may choose to conveniently sing that number. It is about some of the Capital8217;s best known faces, people who have for years posed as Delhi8217;s guardians and who have won elections in that guise, using their political clout to get away with what can only be termed as daylight robbery. Their arrogant venality stares the citizen in the face at every street corner: buildings with extra floors, shops eating into public land, schools with illegal basements, the evidence of their powerful elbow is ubiquitous. These people may owe their allegiance to the Congress, the BJP, or some other political party, it doesn8217;t make too much of a difference. Ultimately, they owe their allegiance only to their pockets. It is remarkable how similar were their responses when confronted: the whole of Delhi is unauthorised so why pick on us, is the brazen query.
