if any individual, a private citizen goes outside the country or inside the country as a freedom to speak. But along with that freedom to speech comes what I call the need to have a sense of responsibility now if you don't understand how the European Union came into being, and I don't want to take your time to highlight how the Treaty of Room started with six countries and others, how the first union was European Cole Community, European Coal and Steel Community. These are sovereign countries which have joined in order to produce at the end of the day some kind of a customs union, a tariff union and where they have even decided to have a common foreign and security Patricia independent states to compared to the Indian states. Look, we are the world's largest democracy on that. There is no doubt we are the world's oldest democracy on that. Also, there is no doubt but for Mr Gandhi to go to the United Kingdom and say in India, Indian democracy is facing attack on the basic structure. What is the basic structure of a democracy? Number one freedom of speech, civil liberties, a free press, an independent judiciary. Which of these constituent components which make up Indian democracy is saying that they are under attack? The free press. I am a very proud member of the Indian legislature. I see the press having a fielding, criticising the government through print media through electronic media, through social media and I think the relationship between the media and the political system. Many, many members of the media ecosystem take great delight in taking credit, taking advertisements from parties which are in opposition to the Garden Party and they give them free play. I have never seen any constraints being placed on anyone and then he goes on to say judiciary, I just saw participation by very eminent members of the judiciary, including those occupying the highest positions and the Jud judicial system. They say we are and the no pressure. In any case, even if they were to say that there is some there is a healthy interactive process going on between the judiciary and the government. There are certain things that government feels and I believe rightly so, that in a separation between the executive, the legislature and the Judiciary Committee executive has a role to play the judiciary encroaches on. That is our right to say that. But other handed, any pressure on the other. On the contrary, we have the judiciary pronouncing on how state systems are to be run. So I think anyone who suggests, even as a private citizen, that Indian democracy is under threat, I think, require serious introspection. But when somebody who is associated is regarded as the leader of the main opposition party, I mean they don't have the 10% to be. He can't be called leader of opposition, but still it is the largest party. I mean, if you look at share numbers to go around and say that Indian democracy is under brutal attack, what is the objective? He saying All of you, the ones I am speaking to the audience and reaching out to which is what? United Kingdom? United States? He didn't realise. There enough Mavericks there who on their own will make statements without understanding what India is? He turns around Ince's op coach Korea. What is he asking for? He is asking for the democratic process is in the United Kingdom to effect change in the Indian Union. Is that what is doing amounts to almost that. Then you know a seat, gentlemen gets up there from the audience or other. Is there any says, you know, in seek Minorities are second class citizens in India? I don't know. Very got that from I mean, I was born in this country five years after partition. This country has given me everything that any member of a minority community code and I Let's leave the seeks aside for a moment. He is talking. What seeks Christian Abby Hall? May northeast mature now, where many of them have large segments of Christian population. So I don't know what it is about Mr Gandhi's understanding. It's not just a flood understanding. Is he playing to an agenda, but he should come clean. And to begin with. I think you need closure, and the closure will only come if he apologises and should apologise categorically. Unequivocally an apology doesn't come in the former, many Anika Marriott near Somalia, Mac, a coach or a lotta etcetera, etcetera, Let me. Also, he made another comment, which I I think it was during an interactive process somewhere. He said that the core of the BJP ideology is covered. This I don't know what what he what? What he was implying to say what he was trying to say. We have a situation on our hands where India today has moved from 2014, when you the ninth largest economy to being the fifth largest economy now and we have enjoyed it because we replace the country which was 190 years, you know, subjecting us to colonial dominance. We are going to very soon to be the fourth largest economy. We have a country in which the if you saw the honourable Prime Minister's reeling of some basic statistics at the India Today conclave. What did you see? India is a success. Storey in every form. Some time ago, somebody produced some report here and there and said, Do this and you know the talk of regulatory oversight. Vera Banks failing. I am not going into that sector. But if you cannot draw pride and a sense of satisfaction from the successes about people, Look at what he says about China. I mean, I'm I'm looked. I am very clear that he is entitled to his view. But one of the things which he is fascinated by is the the Belt Road initiative of China. Any hell's that? As a visionary, you know, step does he realised that this bry process here goes through the China Pakistan economic corridor, which is CPAC, which is Pakistan occupied Kashmir? Does he realised that that is Indian? If he is powers to leadership in India, he should at least know what is Indian territory. Many, several other things that, but what gets the which I am completely surprised about, is his fixation on there being no democracy in India. Look, I'm 71 years old. There has been only one occasion in our history when civil liberties and freedom of speech were completely eliminated, and that was in June, 1975. After that, I don't think we have gone down that road. What is democracy? Whether you're a union of states, I want to use his words and the Constitution's work. It's a relationship between the Centre and the States on how many occasions did a Congress government at the centre invoke Article 3 56 in order to suspend and dismissed legitimately elected state governments? Most of you are aware of the figure I think should be close to 1000 times his own grandmother invoked 3 56. I think at this 50 times this gentleman took an oath as a member of Parliament, and that has a very clear language on in it, very clear language. In it, I find his Apax require at least two comments. One. What is his his party being associated with? I cited to 1975 the imposition of the emergency. But there's another one. I want a site to you where in the year 2009, Section 66 a was inserted in the Indian Information Technology Act by the Manmohan Singh government, threatening citizens with punishment for sending messages and males ask about. Those are Japan on a Section 66 a insert Carnegie Konchesky. This was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 in the famous three a single case. So here you're talking about democracy being in threat when your own family history what you have done in the Congress Party in terms of suspending civil liberties, curtailing freedom of speech in 1975. Now I could go on and on, etcetera, our Baki, you take the other examples a journalist from approve prominent channel, is bullied into submission when his party was in part in Maharashtra. I have so many other examples, but I am going to stop year because more electable, we have a time, this thing and you have many other storeys to comment. Also, if you have any questions and always happy this is this is absolutely a call that he has to make. He should apologise and ambiguously because, you know, he goes another press. Um, any any kata Menomonee Kata say Mr Guilty over. I apologised. I think from my understanding is that will pave the way and facilitate functioning of what you said. Not wrong. I mean, I gave you many things which I have picked up from his, you know, visit, um which he has espoused in in the UK Which of this is correct and by the way I think his tutor are also needs to may provide a qualification somewhere. He said, unfortunately for me, that I'm a member of Parliament. So there was a gentleman sitting next to him who sometimes behaves as a scooter. He said, Don't say for me, for you. I am a member of parliament. I am very proud to be a member of parliament. I have had a life earlier, also brought great professional satisfaction from that life. But you feel unfortunate that you're a member of parliament. Shouldn't be that, Fortunately because of my family's tree. Am also a member of parliament. I don't know what he was trying to say Now Parliament's functioning if he thinks, unfortunately that for him that he is a member of Parliament or unfortunately, as the other gentleman said for you that I'm a member of Parliament Petani, I don't know. I think we should get a clarification or who's fortunate, who is unfortunate. But these kinds of and takes a very unfortunate for parliament that your people like this, who claimed to be associated with history with a contribution to the independence of India and then go and make these absurd statements wants to be many view of montage. Icky statement. They here, but many Wilco concert. You make a statement. I have not seen the full statement, so I can't But But there are other people who are saying that political parties should drop their ascents and liabilities list and all I can say is. I don't think Rahul Gandhi makes these statements after consulting us when he goes to the U. K. I don't think it was in touch with anyone of us. In fact, he has decided to make a statement whether he wants to be who steer P ratings are being affected. There's a counter point of view that when he makes a statement like this, he gets a lot of oxygen. I mean, after all, this is a lovely morning, and I'm beginning to spend the time will do with before giving you a cup of tea, but which will also come. But so I I think this our questions which Mr Gandhi has to over now is the opposition all in one. I mean, the citizens of India, very mature, the ones which come into Parliament of absolute experienced the wealth of experience, wealth of wisdom. Not many people would want to associate with this, but for their anyone to suggest that he is doing it, a bidding that I'm afraid I will have to take issue with that. I mean, if somebody makes a statement and at the end of the day, you know I have to call you in the morning and request you at ST Raynham. Actually taken the thing. He spoken against the minorities he has spoken against Indian democracy is spoken against The basic structure is spoken against you all against the press. They do not free you right? And if it comes to the narrative who introduced the discourse on a shrill negative Naret give you history, Kasey A shrew aka Mobb Cassadaga. Yea, we're always started. This is this gentleman's calling. And as I said, unless he apologises, at least my advice to my party would be, you know, he has to unambiguously upon
