Journalist Divya Srivastava, who pressed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for answers to her questions, has faced online threats and harassment. At a press conference recently held in Lucknow, she had objected to the chief minister leaving without answering questions. Her video of the exchange went viral on social media, after which she was subjected to trolling, threats and abusive language.
In the video, the journalist can be heard repeatedly telling CM Yogi, “Chief Minister ji, please answer the question. This is a press conference. Chief Minister ji, this is a violation of the press.”
The video shows CM Yogi walking out of the press conference room without looking at her while she is speaking. Divya then says, “If you don’t answer questions at a press conference, then why call us here at all? Have we been called only to listen to what you have to say?”
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Divya faced trolling, particularly from Hindutva supporters. Some mocked her, saying that before demanding answers she should first clarify what question she had actually asked CM Yogi. Others alleged that she had been sent by opposition leaders to tarnish the chief minister’s image. Divya denied these allegations.
एक दलाल पत्रकार के द्वारा प्लांट की गई कंटेंट क्रिएटर दिव्या श्रीवास्तव कई दिन से फेमस होने के प्रयास में थी उसने कई सारे तरीके अपनाए फेमस होने के लिए लेकिन बेचारी फेमस नहीं हो सकी लेकिन कुछ दिन बाद उसको उसे कुपाध्याय से कांटेक्ट कराया जाता है फिर कुपाध्याय मुख्यमंत्री के प्रेस… pic.twitter.com/pU6umm47LG
— तिवारी जी (@SURABHI_BHU) September 13, 2026
Divya shared a video in which she said, “I don’t understand – are BJP supporters blind? I keep saying, again and again, that I went to the press conference to ask a question. CM Yogi saw me, he was right there in front of me. I have no complaint against CM Yogi, but BJP supporters and some social media creators are continuously harassing me and making negative videos against me.”
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In the video, Divya could also be seen laughing after asking her question, which led many to question her intentions. Responding to this, Divya said that when she asked the chief minister her question, he walked away very graciously, smiling, and that this was what made her laugh slightly. Divya said she is a journalist and that asking questions is her job. She added that she regularly questions opposition leaders too, including Akhilesh Yadav and MP Sanjay Singh, among others.
‘नारी वंदन’ और ‘स्वतंत्र पत्रकारिता’ दोनों को चुनौती देता उप्र भाजपा का शासन-प्रशासन एक ईमानदार महिला पत्रकार की जान के पीछे सिर्फ़ इसलिए पड़ गया है क्योंकि उसने मुख्यमंत्री जी से ‘सवाल’ करना चाहा था।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 13, 2026
भाजपा पत्रकारों को मूक श्रोता बनाना चाहती है।
तानाशाही और दानाशाही को… pic.twitter.com/ySvLzh5juw
Divya has also received support from many quarters. Several political parties and organisations, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, have come out in her support.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, “The BJP wants to turn journalists into silent listeners. The voice of courageous journalism that challenges dictatorship and the rule of money can no longer be suppressed.”
Separately, C P Rai, chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Congress media department, said that if you call a press conference, there will be questions.
‘Went there as a journalist’
Speaking to Newslaundry about the incident, Divya Srivastava said she attended the event as an independent journalist and had prepared questions on issues including development in Uttar Pradesh, potholes on an expressway, waterlogging and the University Grants Commission.
“I went there as a journalist and I went there to ask questions,” Srivastava said. She said she wanted to ask questions because people, while reporting on ground, ask reporters whether their concerns “would reach the chief minister”.
She said she received a notification around 8 am informing her that Adityanath would hold a press interaction at the BJP office in Lucknow at 11 am. She said the CM spoke for around half an hour and that she was subsequently told the press interaction had ended and journalists could have refreshments. “But I did not want refreshments. The biggest question I had was right in front of me,” she said.
“My question was: the people to whom the contract for the Kanpur Expressway was given, did you question them about how such large potholes developed so quickly? Crores of rupees were spent on that expressway. It was public money. What do you have to say about that?” she said. She also said she wanted to question the CM about waterlogging in the state, including in parts of Lucknow. “I was going to ask: is this within the Chief Minister’s notice? What action is he taking on it?” she said.
She alleged that her question was not heard and was subsequently portrayed as “propaganda” and as something linked to the opposition.
“I don’t understand this,” she said, adding that she was willing to have her call records examined to establish whether she had coordinated with opposition leaders or others to ask the question. “Get the call recordings from the last 10-20 days, or even one year checked. Find out whether I have ever spoken to anyone from the opposition about asking questions,” she said.
Srivastava said that after the incident, her video went viral and she began facing online abuse. “I simply asked that question, and after that I started getting trolled,” she said. She alleged that her old social media videos, including videos from when she was in school and had an interest in modelling and dancing, were circulated to attack her.
“They are taking my old videos from school time and making derogatory gendered comments,” she said, adding the abuse had affected her mentally. She also alleged that people and news channels that did not know her personally had started making videos against her.
The journalist said that other journalists who were present with her at the event had not stood by her after the controversy. “They have to remain in Uttar Pradesh. They have to do journalism in Lucknow,” she said. She said she had received support from members of the public but that the online abuse had left her feeling isolated. She also said her family was afraid because of the comments and abuse directed at her. “My family is scared. Everyone at my home is scared,” she said.
Srivastava also questioned the BJP's response to the controversy. She said that the party could have publicly clarified that she was a journalist whose questions had not been taken at the event. “If the BJP respects women, then instead of surrounding a woman journalist, they should have said, ‘Diya Srivastava ji, you are a journalist. It’s okay that your questions were not taken today. You can ask questions to any spokesperson,” she said.
Srivastava said the CM could have intervened by publicly asking people not to abuse her and by assuring her that she would be given another opportunity to ask questions. Srivastava added that such a response would have made her feel safer about returning to Lucknow and resuming her reporting.
Update on Sept 15: This report and its headline have been updated with details of a conversation with Srivastava.
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