Rajeev Chandrasekhar: ‘Govt’s right to intercept will always be there, but with checks & balances’

The government’s right to intercept for duly authorised legal causes like security and terrorism will always exist with checks and balances in any democracy, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.

Speaking at Times Now India at 75: The Freedom Summit on Sunday, he said the right to free speech is a fundamental right that any elected government cannot contravene easily. “As far as the government’s right to intercept for duly authorised, legal causes like security, terrorism, etc (is concerned), that right will always be there with every sovereign government in any democracy, but those are accompanied with checks and balances.