The Congress on Thursday accused BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for curtailing freedom of speech in Gujarat. Portraying Modi as an “intolerant” politician, Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken said when they are installing the statue of Sardar Patel, they should also learn to follow his ideals.
"On the one hand, the Gujarat Chief Minister is laying the foundation stone for the statue of Sardar Patel and on the other hand, Modi, his party workers and RSS activists are attacking the basic foundation of the nation. God forbid, what would happen to freedom of expression when Modi came to power," Maken said at a hurriedly convened Press conference after Modi laid the foundation of Sardar Patel statue in Gujarat.
Maken also alleged that in Gujarat no assembly session is complete without throwing Opposition MlAs out of the House. "Making matters worse, there is a provision in the Gujarat lokpal Bill that no newsperson can report the proceedings of lokpal and those doing so could be punished with a penalty of Rs two lakh and an imprisonment of one year," Maken said.
The party also pointed that there are vacancies in Information Commission in Gujarat, where posts have not been filled up despite court intervention
On a question that Modi's speech has put in the dock Congress for doing vote bank politics, Maken hit back saying, "It's BJP, which does it. They have been engaging in this majority vote bank politics since Independence, something which Patel was opposed to. Patel was of the clear view that RSS was vitiating the atmosphere."
Earlier, Maken informed that he has written to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde drawing his attention to a police complaint by a woman journalist who alleged receiving threatening calls by the RSS and VHP. Shinde has ordered an inquiry into the matter. The complaint was filed at Parliament Street Police Station on October 15 in which she complained about threats being issued to her on phone following an article she had written in her paper.