WEB DESK
The reported list of banned words has created a furore in India political circles, with several leaders criticising the move. Joining the issue, actor-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam, in a strongly-worded statement, condemned the new list of ‘unparliamentary’ words released by the Lok Sabha secretariat, saying that it “chokes democracy”.
The booklet, at the centre of the controversy, lists words that will be expunged if used in Parliament, including ‘drama’, ‘corruption’, ‘destructive force’, ‘shameful’, ‘incompetent’, ‘dictatorial’, ‘betrayal’, and ‘anarchist’ among others.
“Mr. Hitler, this is not Germany! Are you bringing back Monarchy?” the party tweeted a poster featuring Kamal Haasan.
“This is a typical act of choking democracy and freedom of expression. Pointing out any discrepancy is a privilege of democracy and if that is not permitted, it is a direct mockery of our Constitution,” the party said in a statement.
“If the Hon’ble PM and the ministers are not open to criticisms or even opinions, does it mean that we are going back to monarchy where the king and his ministers would be only praised?”
“For a prime minister who quotes Thiruvalluvar profusely, someone must read Thirukkural, which says that if a king does not have anyone to point out, will ruin, even though there is no one to destroy him. Our Hon’ble PM must understand that this is not Germany,” the statement further read.
The list of banned words has created a furore in political circles, with several MPs criticising the move.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi shared an image on Twitter describing the word ‘unparliamentary’. “Words used in discussion and debates which correctly describes the PM’s handling of the government, now banned from being spoken,” the post read.
“My first of new twitter series on replacements for unparliamentary words. Banned word- Sexual Harassment. Replacement- Mr. Gogoi,” Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra tweeted.
The diktat comes ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, slated to begin on July 18. Words like ‘anarchist’, ‘Shakuni’, ‘dictatorial’, ‘taanashah’, ‘taanashahi’, ‘Jaichand’, ‘vinash purush’, ‘Khalistani’ and ‘khoon se kheti’ would also be expunged if used during debates or otherwise in both the houses.