Inclusive conception of country under attack, says Sonia Gandhi

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday made a veiled attack on the government. She said 'inclusive conception' of the country is 'under attack' and the nation was facing a great challenge in the form 'domestic misrule'.

She said the press was being 'pressured to obey and applaud' rather than to question and speaking the truth was the imperative of the present age.

She was speaking at a function in New Delhi where President Pranab Mukherjee released a commemorative publication of the National Herald newspaper on '70 years of India's Independence'.

"The National Herald evokes a time when nationalism fought foreign rule. But domestic misrule is as great a challenge for our country," Gandhi said.

"At a time when the inclusive conception of our nation is under attack, and the press is pressured to obey and applaud rather than to question, speaking truth to power is the imperative of our age," she said.

She said the 'National Herald' newspaper, which was run by the Congress, was a reminder of 'what is precious about the India which its founders fought to free'.

The Congress chief called for working together 'to safeguard an India in which each person's voice can be raised and heard -- most of all the voices of those who question and disagree.'