‘Dictatorship’ in India; farmers being ‘systematically attacked’: Rahul Gandhi

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 6

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday morning proceeded to violence-hit Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel accusing the ruling BJP of running a dictatorship by preventing political people from reassuring victims’ families of hope.

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“We used to be a democracy. Now we are a dictatorship,” charged a visibly agitated Gandhi who has been twice denied permission by UP Police to come to the area.

Gandhi said he was going to Lakhimpur to tell the government not to tamper with democratic traditions.

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“Let democracy work. It’s a safety valve. If you shut it down there will be an explosion people can’t imagine. We are going to give hope to the families of those who have been murdered and mowed down. We are going to give them hope,” Gandhi said in a press conference before leaving for UP.

The former Congress chief reacted when asked his party was being accused of politicising the Sunday violence.

It is the job of the opposition to exert pressure, Gandhi responded, adding that nothing would happen unless pressure is mounted.

“They want us not to mount pressure,” said the Congress leader, asking what wrong had the Congress done to be disallowed from visiting Lakhimpur when other parties had been permitted.

The TMC and Bhim Army met the victims’ kin on Tuesday.

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Gandhi said the Lakhimpur violence reflected a “systematic attack on farmers by the BJP”.

“For a while now the government has been attacking farmers. They are being mowed down; BJP’s home minister is being named with his son. No action has been taken. Systematic attacks are under way on farmers…from the land acquisition bill to these new bills. Open theft is going on. This is why farmers are sitting outside Delhi,” said Gandhi whose sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra is under arrest at a Sitapur guest house since October 4, a day after the violence.

Gandhi asked why PM Narendra Modi who was in Lucknow on Tuesday did not go to Lakhimpur Kheri.

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“Post-mortems are not happening properly. Systematic shutdown of people who are speaking up is happening,” said Rahul attacking the BJP and warning them against “arrogance and underestimation of the power of farmers”.

The Gandhi scion alleged that India is a dictatorship, adding, “All institutions of India have been controlled. We were a democracy once.

Today, there is a dictatorship in India. Politicians can’t go to UP. A CM goes and is stopped citing Section 144 of the CrPC. Why this dictatorship? Because theft is going on. Small businesses, farmers are being looted, petrol and diesel prices are rising. India’s voice is being crushed.”

Gandhi said he would try to visit Lakhimpur and had sought permission.

“What happened in UP had happened in Hathras also. Criminals can do anything under this rule. Perpetrators who kill are free and those who are attacked go to jail,” said Gandhi not dwelling too much on Priyanka’s arrest and noting “this is about the farmers, not about us”.

The Congress leader said he wanted to go there and support the families of the deceased.

“We are being stopped. Other parties have been allowed. What wrong have we done? The Opposition’s job is to mount pressure. When we exert pressure, action follows. The government wants that we should not exert pressure, so that criminals can escape. We won’t allow that,” he said, noting that the current narrative that all dissenters are anti-nationals has a time span.

“It’s a narrative being built using institutions, the police and structures, but there’s a limit to this narrative. Sooner than later, there will be an explosion. We are telling the government to let democracy work and not shut this safety valve, otherwise other problems will erupt. We are pushing for democratic process to be maintained. We are going to the farmers to give them confidence that they can’t be run over by a minister’s son. We are going to give a message of hope,” Gandhi said, adding that no one knew the ground reality about Lakhimpur and the Congress wanted to determine that through its visit.

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