Washington, Aug 23: The harassment of Indian journalists who do not to the ruling party line is reaching "alarming proportions", according to a global press watchdog which urged the government to ban a group of Hindu nationalists targeting "biased" journalists online.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said as the general elections in India are nearing, journalists, must be able to express themselves without having to fear for their physical or professional survival.

"Otherwise, Indian democracy will be nothing more than a distant illusion," said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk. The online harassment of journalists is particularly disturbing in India, where Hindu nationalists are behind harassment that can lead to murder, as was the case with Gauri Lankesh, a newspaper editor shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru a year ago, RSF said.

It also urged the authorities to guarantee the physical and professional survival of journalists threatened by these militants.

According to the watchdog, this online militia unveiled its existence on Twitter last week, calling itself "India Against Biased Media" and using the hashtag #IABM to recruit volunteers. Its programme – which, at the very least, can be described as radical – is to rid India of "biased or fake" news and to target those responsible.

"We call on the Indian government to ban this group, which is openly inciting murder and whose verbal violence against journalists poses a serious threat to their physical safety," Bastard said.

"The harassment of Indian journalists who do not toe the ruling party line is reaching alarming proportions, while the government's response to this phenomenon is a deafening silence," he said.

This online militia has emerged at a particularly worrying time for the editorial independence of journalists who tackle issues involving the prime minister and the ruling party, the media watchdog said.