Thread by @sanjukta

Some of India's best media columnists and political analysts who often tear apart Modi's fakery through their words are exactly the ones who have helped propping up/defend Modi by their false equivalences with what Nehru or Indira did. For eg this column indianexpress.com/article/opinio…

I do not think a stalwart like Pratap Bhanu Mehta can possibly be naïve enough to think Parliament is the right place to address issues of free speech and hate speech. No Sire, not anymore in Sep 2020. Parliament is no longer a place for democracy's survival. Can't you see sir?

If #SudarshanTV case would have emerged in early period of Modi rule, and if Center would have immediately showed intentions to tackle hate speech even if of their own supporters or members, then of course this column would have made sense. But today home remedy won't do.

Democracy lives in Parliament, that's its home. Sometimes common cold and flu can be tackled by home remedy, no need to go to hospital. But today, democracy is seriously ill, and it caught the disease at home itself. Home remedy won't do now. Judiciary is the doctor we need.

Mr Mehta agues that curbing of hate speech by a liberals' ecosystem, of which judiciary is a part, only gives right wing the chance to play victim. We should allow free market competition between hate TV and peace TV. Sir, that would have worked if it was a level playing field.