CJP protests attempt to create anarchy: Chirag

Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday claimed that CJP’s protests in Delhi over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise were an attempt to “create anarchy” in the country, and hailed the Central Government for bringing the situation under control.

He also slammed the Congress for allegedly causing trouble for Delhiites by staging demonstrations on the same issue for the last several days and charged the grand old party with “remaining silent on allegations of sexual assault by a JNU professor who happens to be its MP”.

The comments come days after the chief of LJP (Ram Vilas), an ally of the ruling NDA, had said cancelling trains cannot stop India’s youth in an apparent reference to the security clampdown in the national capital in view of the October 10 CJP protest.

He had also lambasted the opposition parties for allegedly spreading false narratives and playing politics with demonstrations against the Election Commission.

“We consider protests to be legitimate when people put forward their views peacefully. But if anti-social elements use agitation as a pretext to pursue their own agenda, it becomes necessary to identify them. I believe that yesterday’s protest was meant to promote anarchy. In such a situation, the central Government appropriately brought the situation under control,” Paswan told reporters here.

He accused CJP leaders of trying to “lead the youth towards anarchy”, saying they must be identified and stopped.

The Cockroach Janata Party, incidentally, began as a satirical online campaign against a remark made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant in the Supreme Court, though he later claimed that his utterances had been reported out of context.

Several protesters were detained by security personnel while marching towards Jantar Mantar from Connaught Place’s Inner Circle and Rajiv Chowk in Delhi, as the protest called by the CJP entered its second day on Sunday.

Several CJP leaders were detained on Saturday amid an unprecedented security clampdown in Delhi, with more than 7,000 demonstrators detained at multiple locations as police prevented them from reaching Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

“How many trains can be stopped, how much connectivity can be curbed, how many roads can be jammed...The youth of India have the capability to show the way for the world. Nobody can stop them,” Paswan had said.

The CJP and opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The LJP(RV) chief accused the Congress leadership of doing selective criticism and remaining silent on allegations of sexual harassment against a party MP who served as a JNU professor.

“An MP has responsibilities, and so does a professor - a person whom students regard as a teacher, and in many cases, a figure worthy of reverence. The alleged sexual offences that have come to light are deeply concerning. What is even more troubling is the selective criticism by the Congress,” he said.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday dismissed professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, also a Congress MP, over sexual harassment complaints against him, an official order said, even as he termed his dismissal a “witch hunt” and questioned whether due process was followed.

According to reports, at least 11 female students had filed sexual harassment complaints against the professor in May. “Remaining silent in this manner is shameful, particularly for a party that gave the country its first woman prime minister,” Paswan said.

The LJP(RV) leader dismissed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s claims of “vote theft” through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and an alleged threat to democracy.

“The Congress is unwilling to accept that it has lost public confidence,” he said, adding that the party was venting its frustration over electoral defeats.

“The reality is that the Congress has failed to realise that it has lost its footing and that people have lost faith in it,” Paswan said.

If the party genuinely believes that SIR is responsible for its electoral defeats, it should let all its elected representatives resign as a sign of protest because they have won under the same electoral system,” Paswan said.

He claimed that the prime minister pledged that the nation would be governed in accordance with the Constitution.

“Democracy in a country like India is not a joke...Governments will come and go, and leaders will come and go, but India’s democracy can never be destroyed,” Paswan said.

 Responding to opposition’s remarks nudging him to resign because he was reportedly unhappy with the NDA Government’s handling of the law and order situation in Bihar, Paswan said that “escaping from the situation was not a solution” and he would try to resolve the problems.

“I come from the Paswan clan, who were conventionally known for guarding and protecting people as watchdogs for generations. My role in the Government is similar. Be it the amendments to the Waqf law, lateral entry or any other issue, I firmly put my views in the Government. If something is wrong in Bihar, I will bring that to the table and try to solve the issue. Running away is not a solution,” he said.

Paswan has time and again spoken against the Bihar Government despite being a part of the ruling alliance, triggering unease and speculation of a rift within the NDA.

Responding to an alleged harassment of a woman by a group of youths at the Mandar Hill in Bihar, days after similar incidents were reported in Jamui and Samastipur, Paswan had last month described such incidents as “shameful” and said the Government should not “run away from accountability”.