New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday accused the New York Times of spreading falsehoods about India, terming a New York Times report on press freedom in Kashmir as false and fictitious.

“The New York Times long ago dropped all pretense of neutrality when publishing anything about India. NYT’s comment on press freedom in Kashmir is mischievous and fanciful, published with the sole purpose of spreading propaganda about India and its democratic institutions and values,” Mr Thakur said on Twitter.

“It is NYT and some other nexus-minded foreign media that continues to spread lies about India and our democratically elected Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modiji. Such lies cannot continue for long,” the minister said.

Anurag Thakur issued a strong rebuttal after a US-based newspaper published an opinion piece on restrictions on the flow of information in Kashmir.

“For a long time some foreign media who are inciting hatred towards India and our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have been systematically trying to spread lies about our democracy and pluralistic society,” Mr Thakur said.
He said freedom of press in India is as sacred as any other fundamental right.

“Democracy in India and we as people are very mature, we don’t need to learn the grammar of democracy from such agenda driven media,” he said.

Mr Thakur said the NYT’s “blatant lies” about press freedom in Kashmir were reprehensible.

“Indians will not allow such mentality to drive their decisive agenda on Indian soil,” the minister said.