"Lata Mangeshkar's Brother Was Fired In 8 Days": PM Attacks Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday renewed his attack on the Congress, citing the sacking of Hridaynath Mangeshkar, the brother of iconic late singer Lata Mangeshkar, from All India Radio to accuse the party of stifling freedom of expression - a charge frequently levelled against his government

"Today India is sad because of the demise of Lata Mangeshkarji... but let me tell you that during Congress' rule in Goa, her younger brother, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, was removed from All India Radio in eight days as he recited some verses from Veer Savarkar's poem," the Prime Minister said.

Calling him a "proud son of Goa", which votes in an Assembly election next week, the Prime Minister said: "What was his fault? He had only presented a patriotic poem by Veer Savarkar on AIR once."

"Hridaynathji had said in an interview he once met Savarkar, who told him: 'Do you want to go to jail for reciting my poem?' But Hridaynathji recited it and within eight days he was sacked. This is what their (the Congress) concept of freedom of expression was," he declared.

The Prime Minister - who tore into the Congress yesterday as well, launching a litany of barbs and accusations ahead of elections in five states this month - also pointed to legendary lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri who, he said, had been sent to jail in 1949 for criticising late former PM Jawaharlal Nehru.

PM Modi also referred to famed singer Kishore Kumar, who "did not bow to Indira Gandhi during the Emergency and was banned from singing on the radio".

"The Congress's problem is that it has never thought beyond its dynasty. The biggest threats to democracy are dynastic parties... and when the family becomes paramount, first casualty is talent."

Picking up from where he left off yesterday in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister told the Rajya Sabha "talent is the first casualty of dynastic politics" and rattled of a list of how the country would be different "if Congress had not there".

"People wonder what if there had been no Congress. They are stuck in India is Indira, Indira is India," he said, referring to a Congress phrase for one of its iconic leaders, former PM Indira Gandhi.

"They believe in discredit, destabilise, dismiss... big speeches are given on federalism but have we forgotten the times when chief ministers were removed for small reasons? Our thoughts aren't like that of the Congress," the Prime Minister said.

With input from PTI