Targeting the Congress government in Punjab, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today drew a parallel between the Emergency and the police action against comedian Sanket Bhosale on charges of violating Covid norms at his wedding.
Mr Puri shared the heading of an article linking the Punjab Police action against Mr Bhosale and his recent appearance in an advertisement mocking Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi.
Sharing movie posters of 'Aandhi' and 'Kissa Kursi Ka' with a newspaper cutout from the day the Emergency was declared, the Union Minister tweeted, "What has happened with Sanket Bhosale in Punjab is precisely what happened all over India during emergency. This is how these champions of liberty behave when they are in power. This arrest reminds one of how prints of 'Kissa Kursi Ka' were burnt & the classic 'Aandhi' was banned."
In another tweet, Mr Puri posted pictures of singer-actor Kishore Kumar, actor Dev Anand and poet Majrooh Sultanpuri. "Singer Kishore Kumar was muzzled. Dev Anand's & Manoj Kumar's films were banned. Poet Majrooh Sultanpuri was arrested. Many others associated with creative expression were hounded. Hundreds were thrown in jails. Democratic rights & institutions were crippled. Complete Repression," he tweeted.
A police complaint has been lodged against Mr Bhosale and his wife and comedian Sugandha Mishra on charges of flouting Covid guidelines norms during their wedding at a resort in Phagwara on April 26.
The case was registered after a video showing a large gathering at the wedding in violation of Covid norms went viral, police said.
The case was registered under Section 188 of the IPC pertaining to disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant and relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act, police said.
