KOCHI: Union minister for Information & Broadcasting, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has said that though there was a phase of reasonable restrictions, most of them are being progressively removed every day; and we will have a completely normal, new Kashmir and new India ."

Speaking at a private function in Kochi on Friday, Javadekar said that Perform, Reform and Transform are the three pillars on which New India's vision has been build upon.

Later, during an interactive session with the audience, the minister said that the government welcomes all kind of criticism as they give insights into governance. "We believe in free institutions because they are the strength of democracy ", the minister added.

Javadekar said that the New India envisioned by the government will be corruption free, terror-free, casteism free, communalism free and poverty-free. "We have a diverse country. Diversification is the spirit of India. Live and let live is the basis of Indian philosophy", he said.

The minister reaffirmed his government's ever-continuing commitment towards media freedom. "Media freedom is the essence of democracy. But it must be also understood that in a democratic civil society, freedom has to be responsible freedom. Responsible freedom is not regulated freedom; its self-regulation using our own methods," he said.

The Union Minister said that incidents of mob lynching are even happening in the country due to rumours spreading in social media. This happens because of the absence of authority or self-regulatory mechanism in social media, he said.

