Free speech cannot be absolute, should not be trampled upon:VP

Freedom of speech and expression cannot be "absolute" but it should also not be trampled upon, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said today.

He said there has to be regulation when it comes to certain aspects like sovereignty of the nation but it should not amount to strangulation of rights.

"Freedom of expression should not be trampled upon," he said, adding that there "cannot be absolute freedom".

"There should be some amount of regulation but regulation should not become strangulation," he said.

The vice president made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism.