Chandigarh, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress MP Manish Tewari on Saturday called for greater tolerance from governments and greater responsibility from journalists, saying both were essential to strengthening democracy.
Tewari made the remarks while speaking to IANS in Chandigarh in the wake of an alleged assault on two journalists by Delhi Police after they raised questions at a recent event attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
“It is deeply unfortunate that governments are becoming increasingly intolerant. In Delhi, a journalist was treated brutally for asking questions, while in Sangrur, a retired officer was picked up from a park for a social media post. These are not good signs for democracy,” Tewari said.
He said governments needed to be more tolerant while journalists should also exercise greater responsibility, arguing that democratic institutions could be strengthened only through such balance.
Tewari stressed that criticism was an important part of democracy but maintained that it should be based on facts. He also raised concerns over the use of abusive and offensive language on social media.
“Today, the kind of abusive language people use on social media, it needs to be seriously discussed. It is not good for a democracy,” he said.
The Congress MP also criticised the condition of infrastructure during the monsoon, particularly in Chandigarh.
“It is unfortunate that in Chandigarh, the roads get washed away whenever it rains. We call it a beautiful city, but just look at the condition of Chandigarh’s roads after a single spell of rain,” he said, urging the administration to examine the quality of work undertaken by contractors.
Tewari also pointed to reports of waterlogging at several airports and questioned the quality of infrastructure being built across the country.
“What kind of infrastructure are we building in the country that even portions of expressways sink during rainfall? In such a situation how is the country expected to develop?” he asked.
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