New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) A day after the trailer of 'The Accidental Prime Minister', was released on Thursday, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore defended his party for 'extending wishes' for the film, and hit out at the Congress asking why the party, which has been a champion of freedom, is now questioning that freedom.
"Can't we extend our wishes to a film?" Rathore told the media outside Parliament on Friday.
Attacking the Congress, the Minister said, "Congress has been all for freedom, why is it questioning that freedom now?"
Meanwhile, Manmohan Singh, who earlier in the day arrived at the Congress headquarters to celebrate the party's foundation day did not comment when asked by the media for a reaction to the trailer of the movie based on the book by his former media advisor Sanjay Baru.
The controversy over the movie erupted after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday evening promoted the trailer of the movie from its official Twitter handle.
The BJP tweeted the movie trailer saying, "Riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 long years. Was Dr (Manmohan) Singh just a regent who was holding on to the Prime Minister's chair till the time heir (Rahul Gandhi) was ready? Watch the official trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, based on an insider's account, releasing on 11 January."
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also criticised a Congress youth leader in Maharashtra for opposing the release of the film without a preview.
"Dr Singh's record and legacy won't be the product of one single movie or book," he said.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abdullah continued, "Can't wait for (the film) 'The Insensitive Prime Minister'. So much worse than being the accidental one."
The film, which will be released on January 11, stars Anupam Kher as Manmohan Singh, the economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 in the United Progressive Alliance.
