Arun Jaitley dubs Congress 'cry baby' for attack on EC

Union minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday called the Congress a “cry baby”, claiming that political parties have been complaining of violations of the Model Code of Conduct by opponents excessively. He said that the Model Code of Conduct and the right to free speech must co-exist.

“The MCC cannot encroach upon the Right to Free Speech,” the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. “The two have to exist harmoniously. The Election Commission, therefore, is under an obligation not to dilute or compress Right to Free Speech.” He made the statements in a blog titled “Model Code of Conduct Does Not Take Away the Right to Free Speech”.

Jaitley urged parties to keep this in mind before submitting complaints of violation of the Model Code of Conduct. “The Right to Free Speech does not get suspended or diluted even during elections,” he said. “Quite to the contrary, elections are the greatest celebration of Indian democracy. The sacrosanct Right of Free Speech has to be fully protected during this period.”