Thread by @arunjaitley

Curtailing press freedom has been tradition of Nehru-Gandhi family. Indiraji’s passionate dislike for free media was well-known, she used to refer to India’s leading newspapers as the ‘monopoly press’. The Congress in 1960’s & 70’s experimented various misadventures with press.

The latest being the Congress manifesto 2019 which plans to destroy Institutions
& help Terrorists. It promises legislations to curb monopolies & to bar cross media holdings to restrict free press. This will restrict simultaneous ownership of website, TV Channel & newspaper etc.

It must be borne in mind that Indiraji, during the Emergency, had revoked the Press Council Act and abolished the Press Council by an Ordinance. Today, the Congress viciously wishes to strengthen it by allowing a Code of Conduct on coverage of event of national interest.

It may be mentioned that the gentleman who drafted the manifesto is the same who had drafted the ill-fated Defamation Bill, 1988. That Bill provided for enhanced punishment for defamation upto five years. Today, while in Opposition, he wants to decriminalise defamation.

The legislation proposed by the Congress in its 2019 manifesto to curb media freedom is ill advised as no restriction in Article 19(2) of the Constitution bears any nexus to the restriction now sought to be imposed. This will be vulnerable to any future constitutional challenge.

The concept of cross media holding stands demolished with the advent of technology, How is public interest advanced that if you run one, medium, you should be barred from running another? Is there a ‘real and imminent danger’ of monopolies being created? Congress must answer.

Congress manifesto contains suggestions on media, each one of which, will regulate, restrict free journalism & otherwise multiplicity of Indian media. It is anachronic. However, even while drafting this chapter, a new facility is sought to be provided to terrorists & insurgents.