Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which share power with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, have slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre over the Income Tax raids on Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar channel.
NCP chief spokesman and Minister of Minority Affair Nawab Malik said since the reports of snooping via Pegasus was brought out in the public domain, the central government has begun to target those who are exposing them. The latest victim is Dainik Bhaskar, which has been fearlessly reporting about the failures of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aadityanath.
Malik claimed the IT raids were aimed to muzzle Dainik Bhaskar’s voice and hide the truth. Even the news channel Bharat Samachar and its editor who has been highlighting those IT raids are also being raided.
“Is this not an undeclared Emergency? Is this not the killing of freedom of speech? Is this not a death warrant of democracy? India and its people need answers,” said Malik in his tweets. He questioned till when such excessive actions would continue.
Congress Legislature Party leader and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said, “The IT raid on Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar is an attempt to silence independent journalism and is an attack on the country’s democracy. The Narendra Modi government is trying to bring dictatorship in the country.”
Meanwhile, state Congress leaders, led by Nana Patole, today staged a protest at the entrance of Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai against Pegasus snooping and demanded a probe into it. They shouted slogans against the central government. Patole, who was accompanied by Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan, said the party delegation submitted a memorandum to Governor BS Koshyari and demanded a probe by retired chief justice of the Supreme Court.
