'No freedom of speech in India': Kharge slams Centre

Ranchi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at the BJP-led Centre, saying that there was no freedom of speech in the country, PTI reported.

Speaking at a rally in Jharkhand's Sahebganj district, Kharge said that certain parts of his speech in the Parliament were expunged. He was speaking at Gumani Ground in Pakur after launching the party's 60-day' Haath Se Haath Jodo' mass outreach programme in the state.

Expressing his anguish, Kharge said, "There is neither freedom of speech inside Parliament nor outside...Those who dare to speak up are put behind bars."

Then he said that BJP came to power in 2014, riding over the promise of halting inflation. But what happened is the price of essential commodities, along with poverty, has kept rising since. He claimed that it was Congress which developed the infrastructure of the country and fought for India's freedom.

The 'Haath Se Haath Jodo' programme will pay door-to-door visits to make people aware of the Union government's policies, which according to Congress, are "anti-people".

Leaders such as party General Secretary Avinash Pandey, state Congress president Rajesh Thakur, state minister Alamgir Alam etc., attended the rally.

Earlier, at a press conference held at the Congress headquarters, Kharge said that the party would continue to bring up the Adani issue both inside and outside of Parliament. If the government does not operate democratically, "people will get rid of it."

He asked the government ten questions about a range of topics, including the controversy surrounding the business organisation led by industrialist Gautam Adani and the removal of some comments made by him and party leader Rahul Gandhi in Parliament.

Alleging that the Adani "scam" is a huge one involving public money, he wondered why the government is reluctant to order a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into it.