Master ‘distorians’: Congress slams PM Modi, Shah over criticism of Nehru for 1st amendment

Congress criticizes PM Modi and Home Minister Shah as "master 'distorians'" for attacking Nehru over freedom of speech.

Hitting back at the BJP for accusing Jawaharlal Nehru of curbing freedom of speech through the Constitution’s first amendment, the Congress Wednesday (December 18, 2024) slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as “master ‘distorians’” persistently attacking their “favourite target”.

The Opposition party asked whether it is too much to expect any adherence to truth and facts from the two leaders.

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Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “Articles 19(2), 15(4), and 31(b) were introduced into the Constitution of India from June 18, 1951, through the First Amendment. A Select Committee had examined the ‘Bill’. In para 2 of his dissent note Syama Prasad Mookerjee had written: ‘The addition of the word ‘reasonable’ before ‘restrictions’ in 19(2) is a very wholesome change.”

“It makes Article 19(2) justiciable and I do not wish to minimise the importance of this change in the protection of civil liberty in this country,” he said.

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Mr. Ramesh said the word “reasonable” had, in fact, been added by Nehru himself.