New Delhi: Defense Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that those who allege violations of press freedom forget that governments led by the saffron party have "never imposed any ban" on any media organisation and "nor curtailed" the right of anyone to free speech.
Whereas, the Congress government had even amended the Constitution to curb free speech, he said while referring to the amendment of Article 19 in 1951.
Singh said that a debate about freedom of expression has started up again in the country at a conclave organised by the RSS-affiliated weekly "Panchjanya." "The interesting thing is that those who allege violation of media freedom today forget that whether it is Atalji's (former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) government or (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji's government, they never imposed any ban on any media house, nor curtailed anyone's right to free speech and expression in any manner," he added.—Inputs from Agencies