Crackdown On Protesters Not The India I Know, Says RJD's Manoj Jha

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

'This Is Not the India I Know': RJD MP on Protest Crackdown

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha on Sunday condemned police action during the CJP-led protest in Delhi, saying the crackdown on protesters was“not the India I know” while asserting that the people, not police repression or the government, would determine the outcome of the movement.

Speaking to ANI, Jha criticised the security measures and detentions in the national capital on Saturday, which was called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Delhi witnessed heightened security, mass detentions, and a political confrontation on Saturday as the CJP-led protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was met with a heavy police deployment.

“What have you done across Delhi? The barbarism you unleashed-this is not the India I know. You are facing global condemnation. And for what? To suppress the public's outrage against the very embodiment of an architecture of dishonesty...the people of this country know everything,” Jha said.

He added that no individual had a monopoly over the issue and said the public would decide the outcome of the movement.“I have stated this on many forums; no single person holds the copyright to it...the people will determine the outcome-not police repression, nor the government. Movements may succeed or fail, but rest assured: the country will not remain the same after this-not with the architecture of illegality and fraud upon which this government is operating,” he said.

Congress Alleges Electoral Irregularities, Suppression of Dissent

Congress leader and former Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai alleged that the CEC was working under government pressure and claimed that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had deprived vulnerable people of their voting rights.“He (Chief Election Commissioner) is working under government pressure to some extent. Ask the common people and the poor; everyone is distressed. The names of vulnerable people living in the SIR slums have been removed from the voter list, thereby depriving them of their right to vote. To those supporting this move, I would say: go to that settlement-you will discover the reality of SIR,” Rai said.

Congress MP Mallu Ravi accused the Centre of suppressing democratic dissent and alleged that restrictions on transport and movement had prevented protesters from reaching the designated protest site.“The Central government, under the leadership of PM Modi, is not ruling like a democratic government, but a dictatorship, like Hitler or Saddam Hussein. Congress requested permission to hold a protest rally at Jantar Mantar, and the government deployed approximately 50,000 CRPF personnel in response in Delhi. More than 200 trains arriving in Delhi were cancelled, 34 metro stations were closed, and bus services were stopped... If the number of protesters exceeds the site's capacity, you can redirect them to the outskirts or another suitable nearby location. But you have not even allowed a single person to reach the designated area. This means you have completely stopped people from protesting against the government... Unfortunately, some non-police personnel have also joined the police in stopping young people from reaching Jantar Mantar,” Ravi said.

Protest Marks Movement to Save Country: Bhakta Charan Das

Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das said that through these protests, Rahul Gandhi marks a movement to save the country. "This protest in Delhi marks the beginning of Rahul Gandhi's most significant and massive movement to save the country. Rahul Gandhi has been speaking the truth for years; he has raised concerns about the theft of votes in several states-be it Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bengal, or our own Odisha. Yet, vote theft continued, and BJP governments were formed in state after state. Look at our own state: even though the BJP had secured a higher vote share and a larger support base than the incumbent party... An elected representative is being prevented from speaking and expelled from Parliament, while the Election Commission has begun acting at their behest. The Reserve Bank is in their pocket. The country's wealth has passed into the hands of capitalists; it is not with the common people, " he said.

BJP Defends Administration's Actions

Meanwhile, BJP MP Tarun Chugh said the administration is responsible for maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety of Delhi residents. "The mood of the country is against the protesters. It is the administration's responsibility to ensure the safety of Delhi's citizens against those who wish to hold the people of Delhi hostage or spread unrest in the city, and it is discharging this duty with full responsibility. The sentiment of the nation was clearly visible yesterday on an aeroplane, where citizens were raising slogans like 'the filth must be cleaned up,' 'shameful,' and 'throw them (CJP) out'-this is the voice of the country's citizens,” Chugh said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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