New Delhi

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday lashed out at foreign news media outlets including the New York Times accusing them of spreading lies about India and its democratically elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a series of tweets, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting said certain foreign media harboured a grudge against India and PM Modi "have long been systematically trying to peddle lies about our democracy and pleuritic society"

New York Times had long back dropped all pretensions of neutrality while publishing anything about India. NYT's so called opinion piece on freedom of press in Kashmir is mischievous & fictitious published w/ a sole motive to spread a propaganda about India…

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— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) March 10, 2023

"This is in continuation with what NYT and a few other link-minded foreign media have been spreading lies about India and our democratically elected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji. Such lies can't last long," he said.

He asserted that the Freedom of Press in India is as sacrosanct as other fundamental rights.

"Some foreign media nourishing a grudge against India and our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have long been systematically trying to peddle lies about our democracy and pleuritic society. Freedom of Press in India is as sacrosanct as other fundamental rights," the minister said in a tweet.

"Democracy in India and We the people are very matured and we don't need to learn grammar of democracy from such agenda driven media. Blatant lies spread by NYT abt press freedom in Kashmir is condemnable," he said, adding that Indians will not allow such mindsets to run their decisive agenda on India soil.

"Congress should clarify its motive. Going abroad and defaming own country is the culture of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi must stop spreading hate," Thakur said on the sidelines of an event held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi today , the minister also hit out at the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi had during his recent visit to the UK, criticised the Centre alleging that an attack has been unleashed on the basic structure of Indian democracy.

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In his speech at Chatham House the Congress leader had claimed that the basic idea behind Chinese troops on the Ladakh and Arunachal borders is similar to what is happening in Ukraine now. Rahul Gandhi had also said the China threat was dismissed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as a "ludicrous idea".