National Press Day: PM Modi's govt strongly opposes those who throttle freedom of press, says Shah

New Delhi, Nov 16: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday extended his wishes to the Journalists on National Press Day and hailed media's role during the coronavirus crisis.

In a tweet, Shah also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is "committed" towards freedom of the Press, adding that it strongly opposes those who try to throttle the media.

"Greetings on #NationalPressDay. Our media fraternity is working tirelessly towards strengthening the foundations of our great nation. Modi govt is committed towards the freedom of Press and strongly oppose those who throttle it. I applaud Media's remarkable role during COVID-19," Shah tweeted.

The National Press Day is observed annually on November 16 to mark the day when the Press Council of India (PCI) was instituted in 1966. The day is the symbol of a free and responsible press in India and the PCI is a moral watchdog that ensures that journalists in the country remain unbiased and not driven by external factors.

Vice president Venkaiah Naidu also tweeted his wishes on the occasion and pointed out that media played an important role in strengthening democracy.

"My Greetings to all the media professionals on National Press Day. Media plays a key role in strengthening democracy and in informing & empowering the citizens. I laud the media persons for keeping the people informed continuously during the pandemic," he tweeted.