Says, BJP will turn India into authoritarian dictatorship
CHANDIGARH: The INDIA bloc candidate from Chandigarh Manish Tewari today said that this election was going to be the last battle to save the constitution and democracy in the country.
“These elections will decide whether we will be having more such elections or will we be having a permanent autocratic authoritarian dictatorship as is obvious from the intentions of the current dispensation at the centre”, he said.
Addressing a public meeting in Shaheed Udham Singh Bhawan here today, Tewari warned against the BJP’s designs to replace the constitution and turn India into an autocratic, authoritarian dictatorship. He appealed to people to ensure that the BJP was defeated everywhere to save democracy.
The senior Congress leader observed that it will be difficult to imagine now what that means as people in India are used to democracy and have not had any autocratic and authoritarian experiences. He said, it was because of the leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar that Indians were enjoying democracy, which is now being threatened by the RSS and the BJP, which never accepted the constitution.
“I don’t wish that people of this country should realise the value of democracy only after it is lost to dictatorship, which the BJP is trying to do”, he said, while emphasizing that these elections come as a last chance to save the constitution and democracy in the country.
He observed that if the constitution is replaced, every right that it guarantees will go. More so, he said, the reservations will be the first casualty as the BJP and the RSS have repeatedly said that they want the reservations to stop.
Padyatra in Makhan Majra, Raipur Kalan
Earlier in the morning, Tewari carried out padyatra in Raipur Kalan and Makhan Majra areas. Interacting with people, he spelt out his agenda for Chandigarh and also listed the Congress party’s guarantees for the masses. He particularly mentioned the doubling of the free ration and Rs 8500 monthly cash assistance to every poor family in the country.
Teachers’ rally
Tewari also addressed a teachers’ rally organized by the Chairman of the Teachers’ Cell, Chitranjan Singh. The INDIA candidate agreed with the demands of the teachers promising that he will ensure to get these resolved immediately after the elections.
Among those present included Rajinder Singh Badheri, KS Chaudhary, Bagh Singh, Naval Kishor, Satender Singh, Lambardar Daljit Singh Palsora , Jathedar Tara Singh Grewal Badheri Comrade Inderjit Grewal and Comrade Joga Singh and others.