Govt is intolerant of criticism says, Supriya Shrinate

Chairman of Social Media and Digital Platforms of Indian National Congress, Supriya Shrinate said here on Tuesday that the Union government could not tolerate criticism. Journalists were being targeted and their freedom being curbed for reporting facts, she alleged. Similarly, communities were also being made a target. She was speaking at Lokmat National Conclave in New Delhi on Tuesday. She was welcomed by chairman of Editorial Board of Lokmat Media Group and former member of Rajya Sabha, Vijay Darda. She further said government was afraid of news channels like BBC, News Click and people like Rehan and environmentalists who were put in jail. If democracy were alive, the ruling party would not have stopped proceedings in the Parliament, she said in response to a question. 

Defending Rahul Gandhi for his statement in UK that democracy in India was under threat  she said Modi remarked on foreign soil it was considered a sin of last birth to be born in India. So was it not an insult of 1 billion Indians, she asked.She asserted Indian democracy was for public good. There was no question of Rahul Gandhi seeking an apology. "If BJP has any problems with Rahul Gandhi why does it not speak in Parliament? When Rahul asks questions in Parliament on Adani, employment, China, BJP flinches away," she said.In fact Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for commenting against India in China and for insulting people who worked hard in the last 75 years for taking India on a path of progress. She further said Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra was successful because it was an ideological commitment. If BJP takes out such a yatra their world view would change completely, she added. Irony is that when 20 soldiers laid down their lives in Galwan, India was increasing trade with China, she said. There is a trade deficit of 100 million dollars with China. Government should address such issues as well as that of inflation, she added. At the end, executive and editorial director of Lokmat Media Group Karan Darda felicitated her. Senior journalist Archana Singh moderated the discussion. Shrinate also thanked Lokmat Media Group for providing a platform to them air their views.