New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday hit back at Congress for criticizing the party over the Supreme Court order on Sedition law, and said that the Narendra Modi government is rectifying the “historic blunders” of the grand old party by taking “historic decisions”.
The Supreme Court has put the Sedition law in abeyance till the Centre completes its review of the colonial-era law.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took on the Centre after the Supreme Court delivered a historic order on the issue.
“Telling the truth is patriotism, not treason. Telling the truth is love for country, not treason. Listening to the truth is ‘rajdharma’. Crushing the truth is arrogance. Don’t be afraid,” Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.
Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the PM Narendra Modi government is upholding the fundamental rights of the citizens.
“The Centre had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court regarding reviewing Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. No government has shown such willpower in 75 years, out of which Congress ruled for nearly 55 years, to do so. It is the Modi government which is showcasing its will to respect the freedom of expression and fundamental rights of the citizens. The government is trying to rectify the historic blunders of the Congress party by taking historic decisions,” he said.
Citing the instance of Maharashtra where the Rana couple were charged with Sedition law for “causing a law and order problem” in the state in the backdrop of reciting Hanuman Chalisa, Bhatia said that it shows the “misuse of law”.
“This is just like Article 370 which was a blunder by Congress, was corrected by the Modi government. The decision that the Supreme Court has pronounced includes an argument by the Attorney General that the Maharashtra government has slapped sedition law against the people (Rana couple) for attempting to recite Hanuman Chalisa. This shows the misuse of the law,” he said.
Alleging ‘duplicity’ against the Congress party, the BJP leader said that the people were charged with Sedition law in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
“This poses a question to the Congress party that has stated in its manifesto that it would scrap the sedition law if it comes to power, but imposes the law in Maharashtra for trying to recite Hanuman Chalisa. The party also used the law against journalists in Rajasthan. It was also slapped against a man in Chhattisgarh for questioning the government about the power cuts. Congress has misused the sedition law the most in the country,” Bhatia said. (ANI)