Vijayan should read Constitution before expressing opinion: Union Minister hits out at Kerala CM

The Kerala Chief Minister should first read the Constitution and the laws of the land before expressing his opinion, Union Minister V Muraleedharan said on Sunday, reacting to Pinarayi Vijayan's remark over the ban on two Kerala-based TV channels.

"The ban was not for one-sided reporting or anything, it was for violating the rules regarding cable transmission and various rules related to the broadcasting of public channels. There is nothing beyond that," Muraleedharan told ANI.

"So, if the Kerala Chief Minister feels that it is an undeclared Emergency, it means that he has not understood the Constitution. He should first read the Constitution, he should first read the laws of the land and then he should express his opinion," he added.

"Of course, the BJP and the government of Narendra Modi ji has always stood for media independence, freedom of media, independent media. In fact, we are the people who went to jail for upholding the freedom of media during the Emergency. We don't want to put a ban on media," he added.

Criticising the central government over the ban on two Kerala-based channels, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that an undeclared Emergency is prevailing in the country. The ban was later lifted.