LK Advani declined to comment on BJP president Amit Shah's meeting with him on Sunday.
Amid a resurgent debate over perceived intolerance, senior BJP leader L K Advani today said there was no question mark on the freedom of expression in the country and wondered who were the people saying so.
"I do not know who are the people saying that there is no freedom of expression in India. This right (freedom of expression) has always been there... Such a question does not arise today," Mr Advani said after a flag-hoisting ceremony at his residence.
Several writers and artistes have said intolerance has risen under the Modi government, a claim dismissed as politically motivated by it and BJP.
Speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival last week,
filmmaker Karan Johar had said freedom of expression in India was "the biggest joke". "Everywhere I go, I am scared. I am scared, I am saying something in Jaipur, and God knows who'll file a case when I reach home. So I have become some kind of an FIR king now," he said.
Mr Advani declined to comment on BJP president Amit Shah's meeting with him on Sunday after the latter's election as the party chief. BJP had said Mr Shah had gone to him to seek his "blessings".
People fought against attempts to stifle freedom of expression during the British rule, he said and referred to the Emergency as he recalled that when "our government" tried to do so, people fought back.
He said the only concern today should be about arousing patriotism in every citizen and how people in every field can become patriots.
Mr Advani, besides party veterans Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha and Shanta Kumar have met a couple of times in recent months and they had issued a strongly-worded statement criticising the party leadership after their first meeting on Diwali eve.