Congress Party Accuses Modi Government of Censoring Parliamentary Proceedings
11:24 GMT 06.08.2021 (Updated: 05:41 GMT 30.04.2023)
© AP Photo / Manish Swarup
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The Monsoon Session of the Indian Parliament has seen a series of daily proceedings suspended as the opposition parties launch protests as they are at loggerheads with the Narendra Modi government over the Pegasus spyware row and controversial farm laws.
Former Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Friday accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of censoring the ongoing parliamentary session.
Taking to Twitter, Tewari complained: “This is the height of censorship. Lok Sabha [the lower house] Television cameras show one thing inside the house on giant TV screens in the [parliament chamber] and another thing on the Lok Sabha TV channel. As a former union I&B Minister, it is preposterous the way a supposedly autonomous institution is behaving.”
This is the height of Censorship. Lok Sabha TV cameras show one thing inside house on giant TV screens in the Chamber and absolutely another thing on the Lok Sabha TV Channel.
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) August 6, 2021
As Former Union I&B Minister it is preposterous the way a supposedly autonomous institution is behaving
At present, two autonomous channels are dedicated to live broadcasting of the parliament sessions across the country.
Opposition party Congress was joined earlier this week in its protests by Trinamool Congress (TMC), whose leader Derek O’Brien laid into the BJP for not telecasting opposition leaders' protests and censoring the opposition voice.
"Censorship is a masterstroke of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Federal Minister Amit Shah. Parliament shows selective footage,” the TMC leader tweeted.
CENSORSHIP.
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) July 28, 2021
Modi-Shah ‘masterstroke’. @rajyasabhatv showing selective footage/online edit. All protests in the House by about 100 MPs from 15 Opposition parties not being telecast. #Pegasus hacking, espionage, military spyware.
The parliament's Monsoon Session started on 19 July and will continue until 13 August. However, because of regular protests by opposition parties, the session has witnessed almost no debate on any issue or Bill. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led federal government has rebuked Congress for disruptions. In contrast, Congress said that if the ruling government wishes to end the ongoing deadlock, it must consider issues highlighted by the opposition parliamentarians.
