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The net neutrality debate is a “trial balloon” floated by the Government to hand over Internet space to corporates, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday charged, vowing to oppose it tooth and nail.
“I want to ask a question. If you (the government) have to protect net neutrality, why did you begin the consultation process. It was a trial balloon. First shoot the trial balloon, see the reaction and if the reaction is strong then do not proceed. That is why we are opposing it tooth and nail so that they withdraw,” he told reporters outside Parliament.
Earlier, the Congress vice president had raised the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, accusing the Narendra Modi regime of trying to give away Internet space to some corporate groups, a charge vehemently denied by the government.
He demanded that either the existing laws be amended or a new law be brought.
Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Mr. Gandhi linked the issue of net neutrality with NDA’s land acquisition law alleging that after land, the government is now trying to hand over Internet to the industrialists at the cost of youths.
“This government, which belongs to the corporates and the industrialists is snatching land from farmers, labourers and tribals. I am fighting for that. Congress is fighting for that. I had thought that since the Internet users, the youths had supported Modiji, he will protect their Internet (rights).
“But what is happening is that as land is being snatched, so is Internet. Internet is also being snatched... the idea behind this is hand over the net space to corporates and companies, distribute it among them,” he said.
In an effort to reach out to youths, Mr. Gandhi said, “Youths will feel its impact. Youths will stand to lose. There will be a blow to the voice that they raise, the expressions that they make“.
He said the government did not reply in the House to this very question as to why the consultation process on neutrality was started when it intended to protect it.
In-depth: The Net neutrality debate
Making a strong pitch for net neutrality, the Congress vice president said every person should have access to the net.
He charged that the government stated in a “circumlocutory” manner that it will protect net neutrality and did not allow him to ask another question, which could have taken just five seconds.
On his reference in Parliament to erstwhile USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, under whom the Soviet Union had disintegrated, Mr. Gandhi said that he mentioned Gorbachev as the then US President had praised him for privatising the whole country and “in a way helping the US“.
“Then after he (the then US President) praised Boris Yeltsin (former Russian President) because he had privatised all the companies of the country. But this net neutrality is a bigger issue than that,” he said.
Here's all you need to know about net neutrality:
How does net neutrality affect you?
The internet is now a level-playing field. Anybody can start up a website, stream music or use social media with the same amount of data that they have purchased with a particular ISP. But in the absence of neutrality, your ISP might favour certain websites over others for which you might have to pay extra. Website A might load at a faster speed than Website B because your ISP has a deal with Website A that Website B cannot afford. It’s like your electricity company charging you extra for using the washing machine, television and microwave oven above and beyond what you are already paying.
