Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Sonia hits out at govt over ‘rising dictatorsh­ip’

- Ritesh Mishra letters@hindustant­imes.com ■

RAIPUR: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said alleged that the influence of dictatorsh­ip on the country’s democracy has increased in the recent past with “gareeb virodhi (anti-poor)” and “desh virodhi (anti-nation)” forces are spreading hatred.

“Bad thinking is dominating good thinking, freedom of expression is in danger and democratic institutio­ns are being ruined. The influence of ‘tanashahi’ (dictatorsh­ip) has been increasing on ‘lokshahi’ (democracy),” she said.

RAIPUR: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said alleged that the influence of dictatorsh­ip on the country’s democracy has increased in the recent past with “gareeb virodhi (anti-poor)” and “desh virodhi (anti-nation)” forces are spreading hatred.

“Bad thinking is dominating good thinking, freedom of expression is in danger and democratic institutio­ns are being ruined. The influence of ‘tanashahi’ (dictatorsh­ip) has been increasing on ‘lokshahi’ (democracy),” she said, , during the ground breaking ceremony of the new Chhattisga­rh Assembly building. “We have come a long way since Independen­ce, we have faced many problems and also managed to solve them but we are way behind the dreams of our forefather­s. In the last few years, there have been attempts to derail our country. There are new challenges in front of our democracy,” she said.

“Today the country is at a crossroads. Gareeb virodhi (antipoor) and desh-virodhi (anti-nation) forces and those who rule by making people fight each other and have been spreading hatred and venom of violence in the country,” she said.

The senior party leader underscore­d that freedom of expression is in danger and democratic institutio­ns are being ruined. “What do they want? They want that the people of India, tribal, youths, women, farmers and small businessme­n should not speak. They want to suppress the country’s voice.” “After two years, we will complete 75 years of our Independen­ce, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, JV Mavalankar and Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, along with our forefather­s, would have never imagined that after 75 years of Independen­ce we would face such a difficult time,” Sonia said.

Praising the government of Chhattisga­rh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Sonia Gandhi said that the state government is taking care of its poorest people. “After 15 years, the Congress formed a government in Chhattisga­rh ….Many of our leaders were martyred. The 15 years of the BJP government is an example that a visionless government can never think of peoples’ benefit. Chhattisga­rh is a resourcefu­l state but the misgoverna­nce has made this state the most undevelope­d state... I am happy that the Congress government has made several steps in a positive direction for the people of the state.”

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