BJP calls CJP protest a flop show, Congress cries democracy muzzled

Mogambo Modi destroying democracy, will pay for his crimes — Rahul Gandhi

It was a victory of democracy over mob rule — BJP leader Sambit Patra

With the CJP-led protest apparently having little impact in the national Capital, the BJP and the Opposition later traded claims. While the ruling party said the protest meant to hold the city “hostage” was a “flop show” and asserted India is not a “banana republic”, the Congress charged the Government with turning the “mother of democracy into a “muzzled democracy” and urged the youth to keep protesting, asserting that the party is standing with them.

The BJP said the protest meant to take the city “hostage” turned into a “flop show”, accusing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of spreading anarchy in cahoots with foreign powers and likening him to Mir Jafar.

BJP leader Sambit Patra said it was a victory of democracy over “mob rule”.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Patra called Rahul Gandhi a “nalayak” leader, condemning his Friday remarks that President Droupadi Murmu did not deny the INDIA bloc’s “vote chori” allegation at a meeting.

“What is happening at Jantar Mantar and what is being shown on TV and across various social media handles does not represent the true story of India. India is peaceful, and India is moving forward with good governance,” Patra said

He alleged an attempt to hold the capital and the whole of India hostage through the protests.

“There were attempts to incite violence, physical altercations, and street battles here. It remained a flop show.

“Democracy triumphed over mobocracy (mob rule). Given the way democracy has asserted itself in Delhi today, and the fact that the entire situation is under control, I wish to reiterate that the anarchists failed. Their show flopped,” he added.

Patra hit out at Rahul Gandhi, likening him to Mir Jafar, a betrayer, citing his recent remarks on Elon Musk’s Starlink project in India.

He alleged that Rahul Gandhi is “welcoming” Musk to India today, even as his party leaders earlier questioned the Government’s move to license the Starlink project in India.

Patra also likened other opposition leaders, including those of Left parties and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, to Mir Jafar, alleging that while Rahul Gandhi is spreading anarchy in a bid to come to power without winning elections, Left leaders like Brinda Karat are creating “ruckus” over baseless ‘vote chori’ allegations because they “run their households from the extortion money collected through Naxalism”, which the Modi government has ended.

Attacking opposition parties, Patra alleged, “It is Modi versus the Mir Jafars today.” Patra alleged the Mughals and the British usurped power in India because of “such Mir Jafars”.

“But Modi is here, and it is Modi alone who will save this country from the British and infiltrators. It is absolutely clear that in this battle of ‘Modi versus Mir Jafars’, people of India stand with Modi ji and the nation. This is because Modi ji draws his strength from 140 crore Indians, and works for their welfare,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad called it a “victory of the people” and said India is not a banana republic. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, this country has never bowed and never will,” Prasad said, defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the demand for whose resignation is at the centre of the wave of recent protests.

“Based on the events of today and the preceding three days, two things have become clear,” he said. “One, Indian democracy has thwarted attempts to incite anarchy. Two, the country will be governed by Parliament, not by the streets,” he explained, citing bypoll victories of the BJP-led NDA’s wins in Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry on Friday.

“All these elections took place while this entire mischief was unfolding in Delhi over the past several days. The BJP wishes to particularly highlight that this stellar performance in Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry occurred while a movement for anarchy was underway in Delhi and other parts of the country,” he argued.

“We are not opposed to protests, but you have weaponised street protests because of your electoral defeats,” he said, naming the Congress, though he did not name the CJP.

Slamming the police crackdown on protestors, the Congress accused the Government of turning the “mother of democracy” into a “muzzled democracy”. It said the “seva teerth” is a fast-crumbling “satta teerth”.

The opposition party claimed that the “PM-HM duo is extremely nervous and rattled” by a peaceful protest and so the Government has “officially waged war against its own people”.

The Congress also condemned the detention of several political leaders and protesters. In a social media post, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Our youth, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farm union leaders, YouTubers, content creators, everyone who is questioning this regime are being detained.

“The Modi Government has turned the ‘Mother of Democracy’ into a ‘Muzzled Democracy’.”

Kharge alleged that the “cowardice” of the BJP-RSS is on full display today. “The Congress Party, along with the united Opposition, will fight this tyrannical regime, tooth and nail,” the Congress chief said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who is in Chennai, said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will go, and so will the Modi government, and then democracy will begin to heal. In a post, he also tagged a video clip of his speech to INDIA bloc MPs on Friday at the Central Hall of Parliament.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a post, wrote, “Seeing what is happening in the nation’s capital today, it is tempting to recall the old saying ‘vinash kale viprit buddhi’ (When a person’s doom has come, judgment becomes self-destructive). But the fact is that this ‘viprit buddhi’ is what has defined the ‘Diabolical Duo’ for years. “The so-called ‘Seva Tirth’ (PMO) is actually a fast crumbling ‘Satta Tirth’.”

“The PM-HM (Narendra Modi-Amit Shah) duo is extremely nervous and rattled by a peaceful protest by youth deeply concerned with the planned stealing of their Constitutional right to vote guaranteed by Article 326,” he said. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal alleged the “Modi-Shah regime has officially waged war against its own people”.