Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi started his speech over net neutrality with a compliment of sorts to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi said that the article written by US President Barack Obama for TIME magazine was full of praise for India’s reformer-in-chief, as Obama put it.
But moving forward Rahul Gandhi said that net neutrality means empowering young people by giving them access to a neutral digital space but the Government wants to distribute the internet to a few corporates. He said, “Youth is fighting for neutrality and the government is handing it over to corporates.
The Congress Vice President requested the government to scrap the recommendations by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Telecom Minister Ravishankar Prasad immediately responded to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations. He said, “I want to tell the House that even before this debate over net neutrality began, I made a statement saying that the Prime Minister appreciates and wants activism of youth over internet.
The Prime Minister said that the government is in favour of a non-discriminatory internet for all. We want not just e-governance but mobile governance. It’s our dream.
– Ravishankar Prasad, Union Telecom Minister
He responded to Rahul Gandhi’s jibe stating that the government never was and never will buckle under any kind of pressure by the corporates.
Ravishankar Prasad also clarified that TRAI is allowed to give its recommendations as part of the existing procedure but the final call will be taken by the government.
It is procedure to let them submit their recommendations. My government wants to assure the House that when the Prime Minister talks of digital india, he wants the country to have a neutral digital space. For now we are only following procedure.
– Ravishankar Prasad, Union Telecom Minister
The minister also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the most popular leaders in the world over social media and the government will make sure that the platform is safeguarded.
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