Left accuses Donzelli as it has run out of arguments - Foti

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 20 - Lower House Brothers of Italy (FdI) Whip Tommaso Foti on Sunday said the Left was attacking FdI coordinator Giovanni Donzelli for defending the freedom of expression of an antigay general because it had run out of solid arguments to make against the right.
    General Roberto Vannacci has been sacked as head of the military geographical institute after self-publishing a book slamming gays, feminists, migrants, Jews, environmentalists and other 'minority lobbies'.
    The decision to discipline him was taken by an FdI heavyweight, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.
    Foti said: "It was enough for the Rt Honourable Donzelli to touch an exposed nerve of the PD, that is its attempt to take the place of the hierarchically competent authorities to judge the conduct of General Vannacci, and against him came concentrated the attack of the faithful and various acolytes of (Democratic Party, PD, leader Elly) Schlein.
    "The technique is always the same, it has deep roots and it is wholly predictable: accusing a political adversary of what the latter has never said and mounting a virulent polemic.
    "All Donzelli did was to repeat that it is not up to the Democratic Party or other parties to decide what can and what cannot be written in books, a basic principle of democracy.
    "But immediately the Left, as always when it has run out of solid arguments, goes so far as to accuse Donzelli of being racist, homophobic and even antisemitic.
    "But if they think that this way they can condition our actions with insults and moral blackmail, they have made a blatant mistake". (ANSA).