In Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Majrooh Sultanpuri and Balraj Sahni were both jailed in 1949. During one of the meetings organized for the mill workers in 1949, Majrooh Sultanpuri recited a poem that was written against Jawaharlal Nehru and therefore he had to go to jail. He refused to tender an apology for the same and was jailed. Congress’s record of curtailing freedom of speech didn’t confine it to these two people. “Nehru”, a political biography which was written by Michael Edwards in 1975 was banned. They banned also a film called “Kissa Kursi Ka” just because it questioned Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son”.
#WATCH | Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman initiates the debate on the Constitution in Rajya Sabha
The debate marks the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption. pic.twitter.com/FJdJNWR1Sz
— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2024
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “The Supreme Court in 1950 had ruled in favour of the Communist magazine “Cross Roads” and the RSS organisational magazine “Organizer”. But in response, the (then) interim government thought that there was a need for a first Constitutional amendment and that was brought in by the INC and it was essentially to curb the freedom. So India, a democratic country which prides itself even today about freedom of expression saw the first interim government coming up with a Constitutional amendment which was to curb the freedom of speech of Indians and that within one year of adoption of the Constitution.
“The first prime minister of this country deplored press scrutiny of his government even as he publicly praised freedom of press. There was no doubt about it,” said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
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