Cong stages 'democracy in danger' protest
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 27 2023: The BJP-led Government may succeed in imprisoning Rahul Gandhi and they may remove him from the membership of Parliament by misusing laws and taking recourse to all sort of coercive and arm-twisting methods but one should never dream of abolishing the Congress party, said CLP leader and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi.

In continuation of their movement against disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Parliament in an alleged undemocratic manner, a large number of Congress workers and leaders including CLP leader O Ibobi, MPCC president K Meghachandra, deputy CLP leader K Ranjit and MLAs staged a protest demonstration in front of the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Chingmeirong today.

They shouted many slogans like 'Congress Party Zindabad', 'Rahul Gandhi Zindabad' etc.

Cong stages 'democracy in danger' protest

Talking to the media, O Ibobi said that Congress workers staged a satyagraha inside Congress Bhavan in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi yesterday.

"Today, we are staging a 'democracy in danger' protest demonstration in front of the Assembly Secretariat to save democracy in the country", he said.

It is a matter of grave concern that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha by the BJP-led Government in a dictatorial manner after skipping all legal procedures, Ibobi said.

Leaving aside the legal aspect, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) would relentlessly fight the growing threat to democracy on political front.

"Clad in black dresses, we are staging a protest demonstration in front of the Assembly Secretariat as a part of the AICC's movement to save the real essence of democracy in the country", he said.

Although India is recognised as the largest democracy in the world, the ruling BJP's despotic regime has put the very foundation of the country's democracy in peril, the former Chief Minister said.

In order to save democracy, the Congress party would carry on a sustained mass campaign, he said.

As an MP, Rahul Gandhi was entitled to speak out his mind in the Parliament and give opinions on several matters.

However, all the statements given by Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament regarding the misdeeds and wrongdoings of the ruling parties were removed from the proceedings of the Parliament.

It only indicates that real democracy is no longer alive in the country, Ibobi said.

Maintaining that Rahul Gandhi was disqualified without any reason or rhyme, Ibobi said that the Congress party would carry on different modes of intense agitation both within and outside the Parliament.

While legal experts may look into the legal aspects of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, the Congress party would carry on mass agitation until justice is done, Ibobi said.

Opposition Members may speak within the confines of law in the Parliament as well as in the State Assemblies in the interest of the people and the Nation but the ruling BJP, driven by a strong fear known only to them, did not allow Rahul Gandhi to make any statement.

Concerned Ministers may clarify to whatever statements Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge may make in the Parliament but as whatever statements made by the two Congress leaders have been removed from the proceedings of the House, there is no harm for the two leaders to make statements on different issues outside the Parliament, Ibobi asserted.

As a citizen of the country, Rahul Gandhi has every right to speak out his mind and whatever he stated was not anti-India.

When the Opposition parties including the Congress are not allowed to exercise the right to freedom of expression, there would be no meaning of democracy in the country, he cautioned.

Even the press and media are not allowed to speak/write anything against the Government.

When someone speaks or writes anything against the Government, the ruling party wastes no time in sending police commandos to arrest the individual, Ibobi remarked.

No journalists, intellectuals or scholars are allowed to speak anything against the failures or lapses of the Government.

A form for dictatorship is unfolding these days, he said.

There was no restriction on anyone to give comments, suggestions and make criticisms under the previous Government but the incumbent BJP Government neither tolerates any criticism nor welcomes any suggestion, he continued.

He asserted that the BJP Governments of the Centre and the State have put democracy in peril.

Rahul Gandhi may be disqualified and imprisoned but one should never dream of abolishing the Congress party.

"Ibobi may lose election and may not be able to form Government but the Congress party is one party which will never die", the CLP leader said.

Rahul Gandhi may be imprisoned for 10 years and the BJP may rule the country for sometime by suppressing the very essence of democracy but it will never last long, he said.

The people may be reluctant at the moment to speak out against the failures and excesses of the BJP Government for fear of reprisal and repression but the citizens would definitely teach the BJP Government a befitting lesson, Ibobi added.