Sitharaman Opens Constitution Debate In RS With 'Freedom Of Speech Crackdown' Charge Against Congress

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised Congress for alleged suppression of free speech, citing the arrest of poet Majrooh Sultanpuri for criticizing Jawaharlal Nehru.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday trained guns on Congress saying it has a record of curtailing freedom of speech in the country. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader made the statement in Rajya Sabha as she began the two-day debate on the Constitution, which completed 75 years on November 26. 

She cited an example from the post-Independence era saying poet Majrooh Sultanpuri was arrested and jailed in 1949 along with actor Balraj Sahni for reciting a poem written against Jawaharlal Nehru. 

"...Majrooh Sultanpuri and Balraj Sahni were both jailed in 1949. During one of the meetings organized for the mill workers in 1949, Majrooh Sultanpuri recited a poem that was written against Jawaharlal Nehru and therefore he had to go to jail. He refused to tender an apology for the same and was jailed," Sitharaman said. 

"Congress's record of curtailing freedom of speech didn't confine it to these two people. "Nehru", a political biography which was written by Michael Edwards in 1975 was banned. They banned also a film called "Kissa Kursi Ka"  just because it questioned Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son...," she added.

She further trained guns on the grand old party saying it "brazenly" kept amending the Constitution "to help the family and dynasty." "These amendments were not to strengthen democracy but to protect those in power, the process was used to strengthen the family," she alleged. 

She slammed Congress for imposing the Emergency. 

“On December 18, 1976, the then-president gave an accent to the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act. During the Emergency when the term of Lok Sabha was extended without proper justification. In the extended term, when the entire opposition was put to jail then came the Constitutional amendment. That was a total invalidated process," Sitharaman said. 

"Only five members opposed the bill in the Lok Sabha. There was no one in Rajya Sabha to oppose it. The amendments were not about strengthening democracy but protecting those in power,” she added. 

Speaking about the Indian Constitution, Sitharaman said its feature stood the test of time when over 50 countries that became independent post World War II had their constitution written but have undergone many changes since then.