Congress banned Kishore Kumar songs on AIR for not toeing its line: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress party of indulging in politics of oppression by reminding the people when the songs of Kishore Kumar were banned on All India Radio (AIR) because he did not toe the government line during the Emergency.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Getty Images

KHANDWA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress party of indulging in politics of oppression by reminding the people when the songs of Kishore Kumar were banned on All India Radio (AIR) because he did not toe the government line during the Emergency. The Prime Minister was addressing a rally at Chhaigaon Maakhan here in support of the BJP candidate from Khandwa, which is also the home town of legendary playback singer. "At the mention of Khandwa, people are reminded of Kishore Kumar. He was among the people who refused to fall in line during the Emergency, when every dissident against the government was thrown into jail. "But Kishore Kumar refused to buckle under pressure, which resulted in his songs being banned from the All India Radio (AIR). If you ask the Congress about that episode now, the answer you will get is 'hua toh hua'," said Modi, in a snide reference to Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Recalling the Bhopal gas tragedy, Modi said: "Thousands died of toxic gas and lives of several generations were destroyed in Bhopal, but the man responsible for the tragedy was escorted out of the scene in a government plane. If you now question the event, you will be told, 'hua toh hua'. People died and still continue to die but the Congress doesn't care." Last week replying to a question on the 1984 genocide, in which 3,000 Sikhs were killed, Pitroda said, "Hua to hua. Hua to kya hua. It happens, so what." The prime minister also accused the Congress of hatching the 'Hindu terror' conspiracy to defame the country's religious heritage. "The Congress has hatched the 'Hindu atankwad' (terrorism) conspiracy to defame our religious heritage," Modi said at an election meeting in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. "No matter how many 'janeu' (sacred thread) they will show, the Congress and its 'mahamilavat' (highly-adulterated) allies will never escape from the sin of putting blot of terrorism on the saffron colour of Hindu religion."