Congress ‘trampled’ Constitution, civil rights by imposing Emergency: Rajasthan CM

Jaipur, Nov 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said on Tuesday that the history of the Congress, a party that claims to champion democracy, is marked by the “suppression” of democratic institutions, constitutional values and civil rights.

He said the same Congress that imposed the Emergency in 1975, imprisoned opposition leaders, curtailed press freedom and violated citizens’ fundamental rights now claims to be the greatest defender of democracy.

“The nation is also well aware of the Congress’s history of misusing Article 356 of the Constitution to dismiss state governments led by opposition parties,” he said.

Addressing the BJP’s ‘Save Democracy, End Anarchy’ (Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao) march and rally in Jodhpur on Tuesday, Sharma launched a scathing attack on the Congress.

He said the rally reflected the BJP’s firm commitment to upholding the dignity of constitutional institutions, respecting the public mandate and protecting democratic values. In a democracy, the people’s mandate is supreme. However, whenever the Congress loses an election, it attempts to undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions by questioning EVMs, the Election Commission and, at times, even the judiciary.

While every citizen has the democratic right to dissent, raise questions and protest, making baseless allegations against constitutional institutions and issuing political threats to their officials is contrary to democratic values and decorum. Recalling a historic statement made by former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1997, when his government lost a confidence vote by just one vote, Sharma said Vajpayee had expressed the conviction that a day would come when the BJP would govern across the country, and the Congress would be left to reckon with its political decline. He added that Vajpayee’s vision was now reflected in the BJP’s steadily expanding public support across the country.

Accusing the Congress of pursuing dynastic politics, corruption and appeasement, the Chief Minister said its leaders had become disconnected from the public. Rather than engaging with people and addressing their grievances, he alleged, Congress leaders remained preoccupied with political manoeuvring to capture power.

He further said that within the Congress, dynastic privilege takes precedence over the dedication and hard work of grassroots workers. In politics, however, it is public trust and service, not family connections, that ultimately matter.

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sole commitment was to serving the nation. He asserted that Modi ji would continue working until every poor family had a permanent home, poverty was eradicated, India became self-reliant and dynastic politics came to an end.

He said India was progressing rapidly, claiming that 500 million people had been lifted above the poverty line.

Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the country's security and sovereignty remained paramount. In contrast, he alleged, the Congress supported infiltrators and extended protection to them.

Targeting former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Sharma said the people of Rajasthan had witnessed political instability and persistent power struggles during the previous Congress government. Instead of addressing public grievances, he alleged, the Gehlot government remained preoccupied with ‘hotel politics’.

The former Chief Minister had even made disparaging remarks about his own Deputy Chief Minister.

Highlighting the Congress’s internal divisions, Sharma pointed out that at a recent party rally, Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra was addressing the gathering while former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was not even given a place on the stage. He described this as the consequence of Gehlot’s own political actions.

Sharma also questioned Gehlot’s claims of championing farmers’ interests.

While Gehlot frequently describes himself as the son of a farmer and a supporter of the farming community, Sharma alleged that his actions had failed to serve farmers’ interests, referring to him sarcastically as a ‘magician’.

Raising questions over RPSC appointments, examination paper leaks and corruption during the previous Congress government, Sharma said that ministers and officials from the earlier administration had also faced arrest in connection with the Jal Jeevan Mission scam. He alleged that Gehlot had prioritised the interests of his relatives and associates over those of the public.

Source: IANS