Rijiju also said that the Congress party and what he called its ecosystem of the Tukde Tukde gang had no right to give sermons to others.
New Delhi: Law minister Kiren Rijiju lambasted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for tweeting over the Supreme Court's pause on the sedition law. Reacting to Gandhi's tweet that saying the truth isn't sedition, the minister called the Congress antithesis of freedom and democracy, and said it was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who had made sedition a cognizable offence. He also pointed out that under the UPA-1 and UPA-2 rule, the sedition charge was imposed on several people.
"Empty words by Rahul Gandhi. If there is one party that is the antithesis of freedom, democracy and respect for institutions, it is the Indian National Congress. This party has always stood with Breaking India forces and left no opportunity to divide India.
"And...It was the Indira Gandhi Government which made Section 124A a cognisable offence for the first time in India’s history. This happened in the new Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 which came into force in 1974. Has Congress checked its own past actions?" he said.
"The UPA Government has the worst track record of filing sedition cases. In 2012, thousands of people had sedition cases filed against them under the watchful eyes of ‘Recounting Minister’ P. Chidambaram," he added.
Rijiju also said that the Congress party and what he called its ecosystem of the Tukde Tukde gang had no right to give sermons to others.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it hopes the states and the Centre will keep all proceedings related to the sedition law in abeyance until the Central government re-examines the contentious laws.
Rijiju on Wednesday said that though he respects the judiciary, laxman rekha (boundaries) must not be crossed by any arm of the democracy.
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 "Sedition law: Kiren Rijiju lambasts Rahul Gandhi.")
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