Media will always be free during BJP rule: Javadekar

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said on Monday there will be complete freedom to the media under the BJP government.

"The media and opposition are always free to criticise the government. It is the people who are against the nation whom we are against. I have served 16 months in jail when I was young due to the Emergency. My father was a sub-Editor in an agency. Therefore, I have seen very closely how the media was curtailed during that time. During our rule the media will always be free," he told a press conference here.

When questioned about the drop in the rank of India in the World Press Freedom Index 2019, Javadekar said he did not agree with the analysis and he was open to a debate on the topic.

"I do not agree with the analysis in the report, I am ready to discuss it on panel. I think the freedom which the media enjoys in India is unavailable to them in the other countries," he said.

India had dropped down two places to be ranked 140 out of 180 countries in the annual Reporters Without Borders analysis released in April earlier this year.