'New low for democracy': Opposition parties slam Centre

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24

Several Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party which are not on best terms with the Congress, reacted sharply to the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “In PM Modi’s ‘new India’, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of the BJP. While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the Cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy.”

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal described the development as shocking. “The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha is shocking. The country is passing through very difficult times. Over 130 crore people will have to unite against their arrogant power,” he tweeted.

DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin said, “The BJP is now trampling the democratic rights of the Opposition parties.

Such atrocities will see its end. I spoke with brother Rahul Gandhi and conveyed my solidarity. I’m confident justice will prevail.”

CPI leader Binoy Viswam said, “Anybody who dislikes the BJP can be booked for whatever reason they decide. Today, it is Rahul. Tomorrow, it can be you or me. Time to unite in defence of democracy.”

“The BJP is now using the criminal defamation route to target Opposition leaders and disqualify them,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a tweet.

“This comes on top of the gross misuse of ED/CBI against the Opposition. Resist and defeat such authoritarian assaults,” he added.

Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), dubbed the move as “murder” of democracy and said it “is the beginning of the end of dictatorship”.

Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Jha called the disqualification “shameful and unfortunate”. “Nothing can be a bigger blot in the history of parliamentary democracy,” the MP said.

Danish Ali, an MP from Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, said if MPs were to be disqualified over such matters, 70 per cent of them would lose their membership, most from the BJP. CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya highlighted the speed with which action was taken against Rahul.

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