‘UNDECLARED EMERGENCY’ IN INDIA: RAUT ON ACTIVIST ARREST
MUMBAI: Reacting for the first time since the toolkit controversy broke, the Shiv Sena slammed the Centre over the arrest of 22-year-old activist Disha Ravi and said there is an “undeclared Emergency” in the country. Sena leader and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the country is so weak today that the government thinks it is in danger of 20-year-old climatechange activist. The Sena leader also said that Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies — the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Sena — will contest Pune and Pimpri-chinchwad municipal polls together.
Slamming the Union government, the Sena leader said, “When Emergency was declared by Indira Gandhi, she said so openly and the President signed it. Today there is Emergency but it is an undeclared one. I have seen the Union home minister’s statement supporting the action against the activist. He thinks that our country is in danger because of such activists who work in the field of environment; is our country so weak? There should be an open debate on this issue.”
Raut, who was speaking to reporters in Pune, said deliberations within the MVA have begun to contest the Pune and Pimpri-chinchwad municipal elections in an alliance. He said that NCP, which has a greater presence in Pune region, will get lion’s share of the seats to contest in the polls. Pune and Pimpri-chinchwad civic bodies will go to polls in early 2022. He added that they will discuss with the Congress leadership to contest together.
“Our discussions have started and it has been decided to contest in an alliance of Sena and NCP. We are discussing how to take the Congress along. It has been decided that whichever party has the greater presence in the area must lead the coalition in that election,” he said.
“The idea to contest together will definitely bring a change of power,” Raut said. Union home minister thinks that our country is in danger because of such activists who work in the field of environment; is our country so weak?
SANJAY RAUT,
Sena leader