Influence of dictatorship on democracy is rising: Sonia
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 (anti-poor) 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 Gandhi 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 about 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,” she said.
However, leader of opposition in the assembly, Dharmlal Kaushik, said that the Congress leader was misleading the people. “The party which imposed an Emergency and thousands of people were booked just for speaking has no right to talk about dictatorship . ... hence the party should not mislead people,” said Kaushik.