Girl's arrest on flight is fascism on display: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday expressed shock over the Tamil Nadu BJP president getting a girl arrested for shouting the slogan of "down with this fascist BJP government" on a flight from Chennai to Tuticorin on Monday.

"If this is not undeclared emergency, then how else would you characterize this situation? It was fascism playing itself out in its fullest glory," said Congress spokesman Manish Tewari.

He said it was an assault on the freedom of speech and expression, not only was an assault on fundamental rights, but an assault on the Constitution of India, assault on democracy, assault on the idea of India.

Tewari said the Tamil Nadu BJP president lodged a complaint against the girl sent to 15 days of judicial custody, though another matter that the court bailed her out for entirely bailable offences.

Asserting that the police was pressurised to register a case by the BJP leader in a display of unbridled arrogance, he said this is what happens when you are completely inebriated by power.

He said the Tamil Nadu BJP president had a temerity to keep defending her "completely undemocratic and uncalled for and completely reprehensible action," and noted that this is the second time in a week to see this play itself in the arrest of five activists from different places in the country last weekend.