Kochi:
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, took a dig at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday saying that the democratic spine or construction of India stays intact and can stand the check of time no matter “illogical opinion” handed freely each inside the nation and on international soil.
Borrowing the saying that “Facts are sacred and opinion is free”, the Union minister mentioned, “The democratic structure of our great country will always remain what it is. No matter how unsubstantiated and illogical some of the opinions given both within the country and abroad are, our democracy will stand the test of time.”
On aspersions forged on India’s democracy and media freedom by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi throughout his current go to to the UK, Thakur mentioned, “These days, the word ‘democracy’ is being thrown around a lot in public discourse. A time-honoured tradition in India and elsewhere in the free world has been reduced to a fashion statement by those who have constantly tried to weaken our democracy and institutions. Violators are now pretending to be the victims.”
“We must remember that, unlike Western countries, democracy is not an artificial implant in India. It is an integral and indestructible part of our civilisational history,” he mentioned.
While declaring that the arrival of newer applied sciences presents a novel alternative to interrupt boundaries, the minister mentioned, “There lurks the danger of ‘Digital Colonialism’ on platforms run by algorithms coded offshore behind the walls of transparency.”
“We must remain cautious not to accept anything and everything in the name of innovation and modernity”, he mentioned, including, “Foreign publications, companies and organisations with inherent anti-India bias, and peddling distorted facts, must be identified and called out.”
“it is here that the Indian media, which understands the ground reality, will have to play a crucial role,” Thakur mentioned.
The Union minister was addressing a gathering on the Valedictory ceremony of the Malayalam each day Mathrubhumi’s centenary celebrations within the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and different dignitaries.
Urging the media to stay cautious, the Union minister mentioned they have to desist from giving its area deliberately or unintentionally to such voices and narratives which have the potential to threaten the integrity of India.
Referring to the current assault and ransacking of the places of work and studios of a outstanding information organisation in Kerala, Thakur mentioned, “Such outrageous assaults weaken democracy and its institutions”.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
