Govt against censorhip, says Soni as BJP targets UPA

BJP alleged that while the UPA government was involved in corruption cases like coal mines allocation, it was attacking democratic institutions and free speech as seen in the targeting of the 'Washington Post' newspaper and the cartoonist.

"If an article is written in Washington Post, then a letter is dashed off to it by this government. If a cartoonist, using his right to freedom of speech, expresses his views, then he becomes a danger to national security," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

He was referring to the arrest of Trivedi in Mumbai on sedition charges for his cartoons.

Congress too disapproved of the arrest of the cartoonist saying the action was a bit "over-stretched" and "not called for".

At the same time, the AICC advocated "reasonable restrictions" on freedom of speech and called for respecting the national emblems.

"I have no hesitation in saying that the arrest is a bit too far over-stretched...Over reaction is certainly not called for...We are not in favour of arrest," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

He said a society, which fails to laugh at itself, runs the risk of getting atrophied.

In reply to posers on the arrest of Trivedi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said though the Constitution ensures freedom of expression, it also lays down that every citizen must respect national symbols.

"UPA government is not for censorship but for self regulation and in the last three years as I&B Minister, we have promoted self regulation at every step," she told reporters here.