NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Responding to the concern as expressed by the local Church towards freedom of expression of the people, Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said the people, who are (now) talking about (threat to) freedom of expression, should remember the Emergency imposed on the country by the Congress party in 1975 when lakhs of people were put in jails, media was censored and fundamental rights were broken.
Council for Social Justice and Peace, the social work wing of the Archdiocese of Goa, had recently made this observation.
“There is total freedom of expression in this country so much so that you can call Prime Minister Narendra Modi by any name including Hitler and Mussolini, or write articles against him, and still escape any action being taken,” Naidu added, pointing out that opponents criticise, accuse and sometimes even abuse the Prime Minister of the country, without fear.
“People should remember all this and vote for a party, which guarantees total freedom of expression,” he noted, observing that significant development and welfare have taken place during the regime of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa.
“The BJP wants the people to judge it on its performance, both at the Centre and at the state vis-à-vis its development and welfare,” the senior national BJP leader maintained.
Reacting to the concern of the CSJP over the Centre’s move to promote cashless transactions claiming that the Centre has shifted from its social policy for the uplift the poor people, Naidu said, “It is their view. The country’s view is different.”
“The country’s view is this had been long overdue. There was a parallel economy going on in the country. There was a counterfeit industry going on in the country. Our neighbour who is aiding, abetting, funding, training terrorists, also made us think seriously about this (demonetisation of high-value currency notes),” he stated, pointing out, “We don’t regret our decision and we ask all the people to realise it. They (Church) will realise it. Some have realised before, some will realise after sometime, and others will realise little later. And moreover, this is not for church, temple or mosque, but this is for the country, and where is the question of any particular institution getting involved in it?”
The Union minister said the demonetisation of high-value currency notes would have a positive effect for the BJP in the coming round of elections.
Answering a question as regards recent statement made by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari that a central leader of the party, who is not a Goan legislator, could be brought here to hold the post of the chief minister if his party returns to power in the state, Naidu said that let the election be over, let the MLAs meet, let them discuss with the parliamentary board of the party, and then the chief minister would be elected.
“Don’t try to seek deeper meaning from the statement of Gadkari; rest, you people understand better,” he quipped.
Replying to a question as regards the BJP welcoming leaders from other political parties into its fold, Naidu said that whenever somebody consciously changes his mind and accepts another party’s ideology, he is welcomed, adding that this is a practice followed even in other countries.
Making observation about the Konkan region of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh splitting under the leadership of Subhash Velingkar on the issue of government grants to the English primary schools, Naidu said that momentary local reactions for whatever likes and dislikes, should not come in the way of the larger interests of the organisation.
“The RSS volunteers know what is good for the state and in the interest of the country, and they will act accordingly,” he noted, expressing confidence that RSS volunteers will support the BJP.
On a parting note, the senior national BJP leader said that every election is an indicator for his party about the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “And this round of election involves a big state like Uttar Pradesh, due to which it is important for us,” he concluded.