New Delhi:- It was the Congress which imposed Emergency and dismissed state governments on several occasions, the government said today, hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Narendra Modi dispensation seeks to silence the Opposition.
“It is like devil quoting the scriptures. Congress has no moral right to rake up the issue of democratic principles. It is they who imposed Emergency and used Article 356 (to impose central rule in states) umpteen times… you silenced Opposition, you devalued institutions,” Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said here.
Earlier, launching a scathing attack on the Modi government, Rahul said democracy is going through “one of its darkest hours” with the ruling dispensation “obsessed with power and seeking to silence” all those who disagree.
Alluding to the one-day ban on Hindi channel NDTV India, Gandhi charged, “TV channels are being punished and asked to shut down. The Opposition is being arrested for holding the government to account”.
But Naidu reminded the Congress Vice President that under UPA rule, 21 channels were banned for “airing midnight masala”.
He said the Modi government imposed a day-long ban on national security issue.
The norms related to coverage of terror incidents were stipulated by the former UPA government, he pointed out.
Naidu said the criticism of the Prime Minister by Congress was out of frustration and democracy was more vibrant in India today.
PTI
