New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a no-holds-barred attack on the Congress party, tearing into it over multiple issues ranging from crushing the Constitution, keeping the country backwards and also censuring many film personalities for merely expressing dissent against the then political dispensations.
Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President’s Address in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi lambasted the Congress party over its claims of championing the Constitution and its values and said that it was because of their mindset of keeping the sacred book in their pockets that they abused it so freely.
Prime Minister invoked names of many film personalities including Dev Anand, Kishore Kumar and others to explain how they were debarred and even put behind bars for raising their voice against the then governments.
“Majrooh Sultanpuri, a renowned poet was put behind bars as his poems made the then leadership uncomfortable. Balraj Sahani was imprisoned for just participating in a protest march,” PM Modi pointed out.
“Lata Mangeshkar’s brother Hradyanath Mangeshkar was about to air a poem on Veer Savarkar. He was shown the door from AIR Akashvaani for this,” he said while asking the Opposition to not give lectures on the freedom of expression.
Prime Minister also said that evergreen star Dev Anand was urged to show support to the ‘Emergency’ imposed by the then Congress Prime Minister.
“He outrightly rejected it and following this, his films were barred from broadcast on the Doordarshan. Kishore Kumar’s songs were debarred from Doordarshan for refusing to sing a song in favour of the ruling dispensation,” PM Modi added.
He said that those who boast and brag about safeguarding the Constitution should see the brazen abuse of power by the previous Congress regimes, just for satiating their thrust for power.
“It’s because of Congress leaders’ mindset who keep the Constitution in their pockets and flaunt it from public forums that such censure culture existed under Congress governments,” PM Modi said.
(IANS)
