Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his "fascism in India" remark, saying all efforts to "defame" and "destabilise" the country will fail as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the "blessings" of the people.
He also dismissed allegations of assault on citizen's right to free speech and press freedom under the Modi government. The Congress leader has forgotten the "tough time" people had to face when Emergency was imposed in the country during the Indira Gandhi government, Thakur said.
Law will take its course if anyone talks about "breaking" India and makes remarks that can create tension in society and in the country, the minister said.
Thakur was replying to questions asked by the anchor of an event 'Arth-A Culture Fest' at the Sunder Nursery here.
In an interview to Italian daily "Corriere della Sera" recently, Rahul Gandhi had said, "Fascism is already there. Democratic structures collapse. Parliament is no longer working. I haven't been able to speak for two years, as soon as I speak they take my microphone off. The balance of powers is off. Justice is not independent. Centralism is absolute. The press is no longer free."
The "manifestation of thought" is prohibited in India, he had alleged.
"The concentration of wealth is scandalous. Hindu extremists of the RSS sect have infiltrated every institution and are conditioning it. People see no future because they are scared," Rahul Gandhi had said and had added that Prime Minister Modi can be defeated in the (general) elections if the opposition presented an alternative vision to "fascism".
Reacting to Gandhi's remarks, the minister said, "If at all the country witnessed any Emergency, any ban imposed on common citizens and the media, it was done during the Indira Gandhi regime, who was Rahul Gandhi's grandmother."
"Perhaps he has forgotten what happened at that time and the kind of tough time people of this country passed through. If anyone stood against that it was the BJP. We were known as the Jan Sangh at that time," he said, adding that "we fought, citizens of the country fought".
Be it in Parliament or on streets, everyone in the country has freedom to express one's thoughts, he said. "We have always been supporters of freedom of speech," the BJP leader said.
Without naming anyone, Thakur said some "forces in the world" are making efforts to "defame and destabilise India through one after another propaganda under one agenda".
"But they won’t be able to stop India from marching ahead, no matter if they catch hold of any channel, billionaire or trillionaire," he said.
The minister said the biggest strength in a democracy are its people and their votes. "Nothing will happen with all such efforts because people are rallying behind Modi ji, because Modi ji has blessings of 140 crore people of this country. World has come to know India's strength," he added.
Thakur also dismissed Rahul Gandhi's charge of "press is no longer free", saying "people have the right to make their point in newspapers and on TV channels".