In a fitting reply to reservations expressed by the Goa Church about demonetisation and digitalisation initiatives taken by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that, while the Church had its right to express its view, the country felt otherwise about the new-age policies advocated by his Government.
“They will realise it. Some have realised before, some have realised after some time, some will realise little later... It is a question of the country, now where is the question of any particular institution getting involved in this. They have a right to express their view, they have expressed their view,” Naidu told The Pioneer in Panaji, when asked to respond to Church’s critical comments on demonetisation and digitalisation.
Naidu, who is in Goa to campaign for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming State Assembly elections, also said that those who claim that freedom of expression is in peril in India, should instead look back to the days of the Emergency, when fundamental rights were squelched by the then Congress Government.
“People who are talking about freedom of expression, should remember Emergency period when lakhs of people were put in jail by which party. When all media was censored, by which partyIJ Fundamental rights were broken, by which party. All this happened during the Congress regime," the Union Minister said.
In two separate statements issued over the last few days, the Roman Catholic Church in Goa, which is the spiritual and religious voice of the 26 per cent Catholic population of the coastal State had been critical of the Central and State Governments over the issue of demonetisation, digitialisation and attempts to undermine freedom of speech.
Naidu also said that there was no question about freedom of speech being undermined, because people in the country had been calling even the Prime Minister of the country names in total freedom.
“India is the first and foremost country, where there is total freedom of expression. Total. You can call Prime Minister by name in this country. You call him Hitler, you call him Mussolini, you all him by name. You can write articles...” Naidu said.
Naidu also said that the BJP was poised for a big win in Uttar Pradesh, whose people, he said were tired of watching the ruling Yadav family drama playing out.
“Our assessment is that BJP is poised for good win in UP because people are disgusted by the failure of the Samajwadi Party-led Governemnt, its corruption, its lawlessness, its goondaism, its criminal politics. People are totally tired that is why these people had a family drama. It started as a melody, then it became a comedy and later became a tragedy,” Naidu said.
Claiming the Congress was becoming weaker and weaker, Naidu said that even in Uttar Pradesh, the party had preferred to “ride pillion” on the Samajwadi Party cycle.