Former BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Centre’s Narendra Modi government accusing the Prime Minister’s Office of curbing freedom of speech. This is the first time that the Modi government has faced criticism for attacking freedom of speech from a BJP politician.
Swamy took to Twitter to inform his 10.9 million followers that he had been invited to give an interview to Russia’s RT television.
He wrote, “It is significant that I am being interviewed by Russian RT television for half an hour but Modi’s PMO threatens Desi English language TV stations if they interview me for three minutes. Such has been the deterioration in our freedom of speech.”
The Modi government has had to face global condemnation for attacking free speech after it decided to ban a BBC documentary on his role in the 2002 Gujarat genocide. No sooner did the BBC release its two-part series, the Modi government ordered social media platforms such as YouTube and Twitter ordering them to remove all links to the BBC documentary.
It is significant that I am being interviewed by Russian RT television for half an hour but Modi’s PMO threatens Desi English language TV stations if they interview me for three minutes. Such has been the deterioration in our freedom of speech.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) March 11, 2023
Hours later, the government also banned the broadcast of the BBC documentary in India illegal.
The BBC documentary had alleged that Modi, in his role as chief minister of Gujarat in 2002 had enabled and then did nothing to stop the violence, which killed thousands of Muslims.