Hurt By GDP Remark Criticism, BJP MP Asks Govt to Ban Social Media

“Social media and breaking news was not there when Article 105 was made,” Dubey said in the Lok Sabha.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Nishikant Dubey)

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday, 3 December, urged the Parliament to frame a law for banning social media, after facing flak for his remarks on the relevance of GDP in the country.

Dubey said that the rules of the Lok Sabha were made at a time when social media did not exist and added that it allowed every member to put forth his point without any fear and partiality.

"Social media and breaking news was not there when Article 105 was made," Dubey said during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, according to IANS.

The MP from Jharkhand's Godda constituency had stirred a controversy on Monday, saying GDP should not be taken seriously and that "it will be irrelevant in the future".

“The concept of GDP was introduced only in 1934. Elevating GDP to the level of scriptures such as The Bible, Ramayana or Mahabharata does not make it the truth. It will be irrelevant in the future,” Dubey said.

Dubey’s comment comes at a time when the country's GDP for the month of July-September stood at 4.5 percent, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) data.

‘My Whole Family Was Abused on Social Media’

Dubey on Tuesday, clarified that he had quoted a report by Simon Kuznets, who coined the GDP and who had himself expressed dissatisfaction with the concept.

Further, the Godda MP said a committee was formed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 in which Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, Prof Joseph Keith and Chin Paul were the members and had echoed Kuznets' views.

Dubey said he had put forth his arguments with proper proof such as an OECD (Overseas Economic Cooperation Development) report, but was still “abused by the media, especially social media.”

The MP said his father, mother and his whole family were also abused.

"So, I personally urge the government through you (Lok Sabha Speaker) that a law should be made to ban social media to stop such activities," Dubey said.

(With inputs from IANS.)