Criticism of the government is not anti-national – says justice Deepak Gupta.

Supreme Court judge, justice Deepak Gupta said on Monday that, Indian citizens have the right to criticise the government, and dissenters cannot be labelled as anti-nationals for holding contrary views. He was delivering a lecture on “Democracy and Dissent”, organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association in the national Capital. The judge emphasised on an individual’s right to dissent, saying it is not just a principle enshrined in the Constitution but also a basic human right. “Criticism of any institution is to be protected — the executive, legislature, judiciary, and even the armed forces. There is no holy cow when it comes to dissent,” Gupta said. “If we stifle criticism of these institutions, we shall become a police state instead of a democracy.”

[Source: The Hindu dated 24.02.2020]