'Irrelevant' Naidu frustrated, says Congress

New Delhi [India], Nov. 8 (ANI): The Congress Party on Tuesday described Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu as a frustrated and irrelevant individual. Congress leader Tom Vadakkan told ANI, "Mr. Venkaiah Naidu himself is frustrated because his role as I&B Minister has further become irrelevant. As far the question of elections, he is forgetting his Bihar days, he is forgetting his Delhi days and he is telling us that we are feeling frustrated. Because as far as the I & B minister is concerned, he is not fulfilling his responsibilities," he added. "We are obviously raising an issue which the opposition party should raise. That is all," he said responding to the banning of NDTV India for a day. With the opposition and the media being critical of the ban on NDTV India, Naidu said that the Congress Party has no right to criticize because if they point fingers it will revert to them. "Congress has no right to criticize, if they point fingers, it will revert to them. They have curtailed the press and civil freedom during the Emergency. During the Emergency, people were put behind bars, democratic rights were trampled upon, civil liberties were curtailed and censorship was imposed on the media. That party is talking about democracy and fundamental rights," he said. "21 channels were banned during UPA Regime; some were banned for airing midnight masala. Whereas, we are worried about daylight portrayal of terror activities with running commentary on whereabouts of ammo depot, etc," he added. He also alleged that the Congress party is getting frustrated because they are losing elections in state after state. "Democracy has never been this vibrant, people from all walks of life feel they have a say in government issues," Naidu said. Naidu further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has never called any Prime Minister 'khoon ka dalal', and therefore, this is the kind of freedom people have now. (ANI)