On Sacred Games row, Rahul says freedom of expression is fundamental right

Amid a row over the alleged use of derogatory language in a web series, while referring to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the BJP and the RSS believe that freedom of expression must be policed, while he regards it as a fundamental democratic right.

"My father lived and died in the service of India. The views of a character on a fictional web series can never change that," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.

His remarks come days after a plea was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking removal of certain scenes from the Netflix series 'Sacred Games', claiming that some of its content was derogatory to Rajiv Gandhi. The high court has said it will hear the plea filed by advocate Nikhil Bhalla on Monday.

Also, a police complaint has been filed by a Congress activist in Kolkata against the producers of the web series and actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui over the issue.

BJP/RSS believe the freedom of expression must be policed & controlled. I believe this freedom is a fundamental democratic right, Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Siddiqui, online platform Netflix and "Sacred Games" producers are "jointly responsible" for abusing Rajiv Gandhi on the show, Congress activist Rajeev Sinha has alleged in his complaint, filed in the Girish Park Police Station in north Kolkata.

The first season of the show, comprising eight episodes, was released on July 6 and is available in 190 countries in four languages.