New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sudhanshu Trivedi has voiced his strong displeasure over boycott of journalists by I.N.D.I.A bloc and called the move an open assault on the freedom of speech by ‘opportunist’ alliance.
Lashing out at the grouping of 26 parties, the Rajya Sabha MP said that it was their entitlement oriented mindset that prompted them to come up with such anti-democratic step.
Sudhanshu Trivedi, in conversation with ANI Editor Smita Prakash, said that such attempts to muzzle the press is not new with the Congress, it’s a ‘age-old practice’ with them.
He recounted many instances of the past when the freedom of press was curtailed during Nehru & Rajiv Gandhi governments.
“A seasoned journalist was put behind bars for 2 years for critical article on Nehru dispensation, during Emergency Kishore Kumar was removed from All India Radio for refusing to sing song at Sanjay Gandhi function and when tough questions were posed at Rajiv Gandhi govt, the news publication was punished with power cuts & more,” senior BJP spokesperson said in the ANI podcast.
BJP MP from Rajya Sabha also tore into the Opposition parties for deriding & mocking the Sanatan Dharma.
He slammed the DMK for its hatred against Sanatan Dharma and promoting appeasement politics. He also cited example of Perumbur zila and explained how DMK govt crushed the voice of Hindus and appeased the voice of minority-turned majority.
It may be noted that DMK minister & CM Stalin’s son Udaynidhi Stalin compared Sanatan with malaria & dengue and called for its eradication while another senior party leader A Raja likened it to leprosy & HIV.
When asked whether Sanatan promotes casteism, he explained that the word was not even an Indian but Portuguese word and it was rather the INDIA bloc which wants this regressive system to stay for political benefits.
“From DMK to Congress, their politics is centered around dynasty politics. In spite of promoting merit, the party works as family fiefdom and keeps transfering power from one generation to another,” he said.
