Hoshiarpur : The Punjab BJP organised a ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ padyatra in Hoshiarpur on Wednesday. Addressing the gathering, Barinder Sachdeva, Co-in-charge of Punjab BJP, launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying that Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of promoting anarchy and undermining democracy, even though, according to Sachdeva, the Congress itself has a history of undermining democratic institutions.
He recalled the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother, and said that democracy had suffered a severe blow during that period. He further alleged that democratic values were being undermined in states governed by the Congress. Sachdeva asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the true guardian of democracy in India today.
Among those were present former Punjab BJP State president and Union Minister of State Vijay Sampla, State Vice-President Rakesh Rathour, General Secretaries Rajesh Bagga and Jeevan Garg, former Union Minister Som Parkash, Hoshiarpur BJP District President Nitin Gupta Nannu, former MLAs K.D. Bhandari and Sheetal Angural, and several other party leaders. Thousands of BJP workers participated in the padyatra and raised slogans against the Congress.
*Blaming the Election Commission for Its Own Failures*
Sachdeva alleged that Rahul Gandhi is spreading falsehoods about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and attempting to shift the blame for his political failures onto the Election Commission and the revision exercise. He questioned what he described as the Congress’s double standards, alleging that the party criticises SIR when the BJP is in power but takes a different position in states such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, where the Congress or the Aam Aadmi Party is in power.
*Democracy Under Threat in Punjab*
Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party government, Sachdeva said that Punjab is among the places where democracy faced serious challenges. He alleged that the state’s drug problem had worsened under the AAP government and that the law-and-order situation had deteriorated significantly. He pointed to frequent murders and extortion demands as growing concerns, adding that the Bhagwant Mann government must be voted out in the interest of Punjab and its people.
*Attempts to Destabilise India*
Speaking at the event, former Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla said that India, as the world’s largest democracy, must be protected against attempts to destabilise its democratic institutions. He acknowledged that peaceful protest is a democratic right but said that using this right as a pretext to create disorder or undermine democratic norms was unacceptable.
Former Union Minister of State Som Parkash said that India had been holding regular elections since 1952, with governments formed in accordance with the people’s mandate. He stressed that opposition parties must respect the people’s verdict and refrain from actions that could undermine the country’s peace and democratic institutions in the name of politics.
Punjab BJP Vice-President Rakesh Rathour said that the ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ campaign was aimed at safeguarding democratic values and constitutional principles. He added that the Indian Constitution provides for a change of government through elections and democratic processes, rather than through attempts to force political change by mobilising crowds on the streets.
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