NEW DELHI, Apr 22: Taking up the net neutrality issue, Rahul Gandhi today launched yet another fusillade in Parliament accusing the Modi Government of trying to handover internet space to some corporate groups, drawing an instant repost that the UPA regime was full of scams and curbs on net.
After his salvos at the Government over the land bill and farmers issues, Gandhi made his second speech in three days in the Lok Sabha demanding a new law to ensure equal access to all especially the youths, to the internet.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took the floor immediately after Rahul’s attack to counter his criticism. He said the BJP Government stood for Digital India and internet was available to people in a non-discriminatory manner.
Gandhi, who had given notice for suspension of Question Hour to take up an adjournment motion on the issue, however, raised the issue only during the zero hour.
“This Government wants to carve out the internet and hand it over to some corporates….The Government wants to distribute internet among industrialists. Every youth should have access to internet,” he said to the thumping of desks by his party members.
Gandhi’s attack comes on top of his Monday speech in which he repeatedly took jibes at the government calling it “suit-boot ki sarkar” which was pro-industrialists and anti-farmers.
Outside the House, he said the net neutrality debate is a trial balloon floated by the Government to handover internet space to corporates which he vowed to oppose tooth and nail.
“I want to ask a question. If you (the Government) have to protect net neutrality, why did you begin the consultation process. It was a trial balloon. First float the trial balloon, see the reaction and if the reaction is strong then do not proceed. That is why we are opposing it tooth and nail so that they withdraw,” he told reporters.
Playing down the TRAI consultation paper in this regard which has sparked a debate over net-neutrality, Prasad said the regulatory body was doing it under the Act governing the issue, but it was “for me and the Government to take a final call on the issue.”
Prasad hit back by referring to curbs imposed by UPA Government on Twitter in 2012 and scams in 2G spectrum and coal blocks allocations during its rule.
He told the Congress leader that his leader Narendra Modi was one of the most popular figures on the internet and Gandhi was only trying to make an entry into the social media.
Prasad said much before the controversy over net neutrality broke out, he had in January formed a committee to look into the issue. The panel is to submit its report in the second week of May.
At an industry event later, he said took potshots at Gandhi’s performance in Parliament. “Rahul Gandhi has been MP since 2004. He has wasted 10 years of his time. Perhaps on eloquence of speech, after 49 days of introspection, he needs some more homework.”
On net neutrality, he said he had always stated that Government’s commitment to availability of non-discriminatory internet was very clear.
“When we seek expert committee report, I constituted the committee in January, what are the benefits, what are the limitations, what kind of architecture do we need to have?
“Do we need to have legal architecture? Do we need to have technical architecture? These are matters of details and most important what is best global practice. All these are required to be done,” he said. (PTI)
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