Lata Mangeshkar's Brother Sacked, Kishore Kumar Songs Banned: PM Modi Raps Cong Over Freedom of Speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday “revealed a piece of history” related to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away last week. PM Modi told the parliamentarians that Mangeshkar’s younger brother Hridaynath was sacked from his job at All India Radio for reciting a poem on Veer Savarkar. He also reminded people of how singer Kishore Kumar was banned from singing on radio during Emergency.

“Everyone should know how Congress behaved with Lata Mangeshkar’s family, who belonged to Goa. Her younger brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar was sacked from his job at All India Radio. His fault was that he had presented a poem on patriotism by Veer Savarkar,” PM Modi said in Rajya Sabha, asking if this was Congress’s ‘Freedom of Speech’.

“During Congress government, there were several injustices — not just against Hridaynath ji, the list is quite long,” the PM said. “Majrooh Sultanpuri and Professor Dharampal were both jailed for criticising Jawahar Lal Nehru. Kishore Kumar did not bow to Indira Gandhi during Emergency and he was banned from singing on the radio. We know how freedom of expression is curbed when people don’t agree to one family,” the prime minister added.

Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6 at 92 years of age at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital following post-Covid complications. She was cremated with full state honours in the presence of her family, PM Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and thousands of Mumbai residents who thronged Shivaji Park to pay their last respects.

It was Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s son Aadinath Mangeshkar who performed the rituals related to Lata’s cremation. He was also seen bringing the astikalash (urn of ashes) from the cremation spot on Monday. “We handed over the asthi kalash (urn) to Adinath, son of Lata’s brother and music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar,” assistant municipal commissioner Kiran Dighavkar was quoted by PTI. Since Lata remained unmarried, her brother’s family performed her post death rituals.

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