Barkha Dutt

Srinagar: India’s star television anchor Barkha Dutt, who during her two-decade long career in broadcast journalism tried hard to sell the ‘idea of India’ to Kashmiris, is today finding herself at odds with the same idea.

In a very direct tweet the renowned television journalist suggested that attempts were being made to stop her from starting any new projects as an independent broadcaster.

Dutt accused “powerful people in the Establishment” (Narendra Modi-led government) of issuing “chilling veiled threats” and “messages” that she and her family “will be smeared and maligned” and “are under surveillance”.

“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 and maligned to stop me from starting any new projects. Was advised to get my house debugged. Is this my country?,” Barkha Dutt said in a tweet.

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?

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) June 7, 2018

She did not stop here.

Speaking to newscentral24*7, Barkha Dutt placed it on record that “if anything happens to me and my family whether in terms of a smear campaign or any other threat, then the government and BJP will be responsible”.

In a series of tweets, she said she never thought the day would come “when in my own country, I would be told to hire private security & get my house debugged” and that “All this while I thought Indian Democracy would keep me safe & keep my rights as a private citizen intact. Today it is conveyed to me that sections of the Establishment have decided to use any tool available to stop me from working.”

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 (@BDUTT) June 7, 2018

“I never thought the day would come when in my own country, I will 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,” she said in a tweet.

Continuing, in another tweets, she wrote: “All this while I though(t) Indian Democracy would keep me safe & keep my rights as a private citizen intact. Today it is conveyed to me that sections of the Establishment have decided to use any tool available to stop me from working. I am placing this in the public domain.”