Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Updated
Mangaluru, Feb 29: Nupur Sharma, national media co-convenor of BJP Yuva Morcha, who was in the city on Monday February 29 to participate in a protest over the JNU issue, said that there have been efforts in a section of the media to portray sedition as 'dissent', and alleged that except for a few, all news channels were 'pro-Congress'.
Addressing a press meet at the BJP office here after participating in the protest organized by Rashtra Jagruti Samiti, Nupur Sharma reiterated much of what she said in the protest. Stating that it was wrong to view sedition as 'dissent', she said, "How can any journalist, doctor or other professional view traitors as dissenters? They are not dissenters. I met the wife of soldier Nagesh who died in Siachen. These soldiers are sacrificing their lives to protect us.
"My political ideology is my own but for saluting the National Flag, loving the country, and upholding integrity and sovereignity of the nation, ideology is not necessary. Article 19 (2) clearly states that there is limitation to freedom of speech and expression. Sedition means using words that show disaffection towards the country. It is wrongful use of freedom of speech," she said.
To a question on why she was targetting the media, Nupur Sharma replied, "What I said is my personal experience. When 2 lac retired soldiers protested in Delhi, it was not considered as newsworthy. But a protest by 200 people in JNU was printed in front pages and shown on TV during prime time. Except for a few channels, all are pro-Congress or pro-Gandhi family.
"Let us be realistic - Why can't I call terrorist a terrorist when it is decided by the Supreme Court? Congress party is trying to divide the nation. When it was said that National Flag should be unfurled in all central universities, the initial reaction of some party leaders was like, 'what is the necessity, will unfurling the Tricolour change our feelings?' What is your feeling? Where are you living? You are living in India, and this is about unfurling India's flag. When leaders like Anurag Thakur, Arun Jaitley and Smriti Irani raised questions in the Parliament, they went unanswered.
"We cannot portray sedition as dissent. Freedom of speech means freedom to be free in Independent India and practice and profess whatever profession you are in, and freedom to live and move within the country. We should respect what the country has given to us. When opinion becomes sedition, law will take its own course," she added.
"I do not say all media are trying to portray sedition as dissent, but a majority of them are. Exceptions are Zee News, Times Now and some others, which showed sedition as sedition, while others declared those charged with sedition as innocents, even though the court has not said so.
"One of the channels has even claimed that the video of Kanhaiya Kumar shouting slogans was doctored. There is a Constitutional rule of law in this country. How did they (channel) decide whether the video was doctored or not. If it is doctored, what is stopping them from filing an FIR? If they feel police is pro-government, they can go to court," she said.
To a question on the attack on media persons outside the Patiala House courts in Delhi reportedly by lawyers, she said, "BJP has condemned the attack on media persons. Nevertheless, why didn't a single video of the attack on journalists come out? When Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial was desecrated, why was there no protest from the media? When Robert Vadra was questioned on land grabbing, he objected and a media person's mike fell down. Why did the media not protest then?
"Even in US, character assassination of a minister will not be tolerated. This does not happen in any country. There were personal attacks on HRD minister (Smriti Irani) and other ministers, but we were silent. You can do that, nobody will come forward to question. But when it comes to unity, sovereignity and integrity of country, the law will defend and take its course," she added.
On BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's demand on renaming JNU after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, she declined to comment and added, "That is his personal opinion. Any official information on this matter will be communicated by the HRD ministry."
When a reporter asked a question on the protest earlier in the day on the theme 'Anti-nationals should Quit India', she said, "Let anti-nationals go wherever they want if they are not satisfied with India. They have been booked under sedition. They were demanding secession of Kashmir and destruction of India. Pakistan spokesperson supports them."
Earlier Report
Mangaluru: JNU row - Throw out anti-nationals, says Nupur Sharma, slams Rahul Gandhi
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Feb 29: National media co-convenor of BJP Yuva Morcha, Nupur Sharma, who had contested against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal last year, on Monday February 29 lashed out at Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and others in the opposition over the JNU issue and proclaimed that anti-nationals who raise slogans against India should be thrown out.
She was addressing a programme organized by Rashtra Jagruti Samiti, Mangaluru at Town Hall here. Prior to the programme, a march was held from Canara College to the venue on the theme 'Anti-nationals should quit India'.
"After the new government (NDA) came to power, the vice-chancellor of JNU was changed. Such (anti-national) things were going in JNU for the last 15 years, and if the VC had not been changed, this issue would not have come to light. These types of things are going on not in JNU but in several other universities in the country as well. On the other hand, we have brave soldier Lance Naik Hanumanthappa's wife, who says she will send her daughter to serve for the cause of the country."
Commenting on Afzal Guru who was hanged in connection to the attack on the Parliament, and whose hanging was questioned by JNU students, she said, "Afzal Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013. He was a terrorist who was given the death penalty by the Supreme Court. For the next six years, his clemency petition was with the President of India. After 12 years of privileged judicial proceedings he was hanged for attacking the Parliament, the Temple of Democracy, which killed 9 people and injured several others. After his hanging, his death was observed as Martry's Day in JNU for three years. I know of only one kind of martyrs - they are the soldiers of India who have sacrficed their lives for the nation to protect us, like Lance Naik Hanumanthappa and Nagesh.
"Only if there is country, will we be there. This country is our address. Where else will we go?" She proclaimed.
"In the programme organized at JNU, it was said that Afzal Guru was a victim of judicial killing. Fingers were pointed at the Supreme Court and the Constitution, potraying them as killers. The vice-chancellor rejected permission for the programme after ABVP students filed a complaint. The anti-nationals later came to the streets in the heart of Delhi shouting slogans like 'India Go Back', 'We will fight till the destruction of India', 'We will fight till Kashmir's freedom', 'Afzal, your killers are alive' and 'We will take the mission of Afzal to its end'. Afzal's aim was secession of Kashmir from India," Nupur Sharma said.
Slamming the media over the coverage on JNU, she said, "Media reports stated this was dissent by students and that freedom of free speech had been curbed. This is not free speech but sedition. How can media call it dissent? Is media the court? Let the court decide. No one is above the law. Democracy has given us the right to freedom of expression and millions of people do not want the country to be destroyed. Who are you to decide? Are you supporting terrorists and seccessionists?"
Targetting the opposition, she said, "Leaders like Sitaram Yechury, B Raja, Anand Sharma and Rahul Gandhi went to support and defend JNU students without any political knowledge. After looting India for ten years, now Congress is into dividing the nation. I am not from a political family, I joined BJP out of my own interest.
"Rahul Gandhi does not know what he is doing. Mani Shankar Aiyer goes to Pakistan and says 'throw them away and bring us'. Will Pakistanis come and fight elecions in India? Only a few people are supporting secession and terrorists, while millions are pro-nation. JNU Democratic Students' Union was banned by the Congress government itself, now they are defending its president Kanhaiya Kumar. Kanhaiya had demanded action against the 'judicial killing' of Yakub Memon who was convicted and hanged for his role in the Mumbai blasts of 1993.
"Kashmir was ours, and it is ours and it will remain ours. This is not free speech but the truth. When the law of the land takes action, is it illegal? After Kanhaiya was arrested, sympathisers of terrorists were exposed. Rahul Gandhi has forgotten that Congress itself sent Afzal Guru to the gallows and now he is saying free speech is being muzzled. In the name of free speech, he is supporting people who support Yakub and Afzal Guru," she said.
"Those including Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma who directly or indirectly support or defend terrorists, their intention is not the betterment of country but votes," she charged.
"The Rs 210 crore of subsidized education provided in JNU is from tax payers' money. These are anti-nationals. Throw them out," she declared.
"Let us fight for our nation. The families of the soldiers of 19th battalion of the Madras Regiment, who died in Siachen, need not worry. Their friends should not be disheartened, instead serve the nation," she added.
Asha S M, wife of soldier Nagesh who died in the Siachen avalanche recently, was presented with a cheque by VHP on the occasion.
Retired solider I N Rai also spoke.
Literatteur Bola Chittaranjan Shetty, Kishore D Shetty, Dr Y Bharat Shetty, M B Puranik, Sunil Acharya and others were present.