The opposition came under fire from Union minister Pralhad Joshi, who called the current protests a “political drama” and an inability to accept the results of the election. The Union minister said that in the face of protests, the government cannot just watch helplessly while anarchy and property destruction occur.Speaking to the media, the minister justified the state’s security measures and limitations on public transport, saying that when public safety is under danger, authorities cannot do nothing.The government must take action if there is an attempt to incite disorder, destroy public property, or injure regular people. The BJP is predicted to maintain its winning trend in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Goa after winning the most recent elections, Joshi told reporters.Commenting on the BJP’s electoral prospects, Joshi pointed to the party’s successive victories and said its growth in West Bengal was driven by dissatisfaction with the state government. “In West Bengal, the BJP’s growth is due to the misrule and corruption of Mamata Banerjee’s government,” he said.“The chief justice has called for reasonable restrictions regarding the restrictions on metro services,” Pralhad Joshi stated, pointing out that operational protocols are still subject to judicial and administrative scrutiny. Delhi Police will determine what has to be done. Safety is just as vital. These are attempts to deny their election setback and political drama.Joshi’s remarks came amid security restrictions ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest, titled ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’, which seeks the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and opposes the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mishra Mona criticised the BJP-led Centre over the extensive security arrangements and preventive detentions in the national capital ahead of the demonstration, describing the restrictions as an “attempt to murder democracy”.Speaking to ANI in Lucknow on Saturday, Mishra alleged that the restrictions on public movement and the heavy deployment of security personnel reflected anxiety within the ruling establishment.“This reflects a thoroughly frightened BJP. The country’s Constitution grants every political party, organisation, and individual the right to protest and voice their views. However, the atmosphere created in the country today—with trains being cancelled, vehicles stopped at toll plazas, and people being detained—amounts to an attempt to murder democracy… They (the BJP) now realise that their countdown has begun; they are not going to remain in power,” Mishra said.Asked whether the Congress leadership would participate in the CJP’s ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ protest in New Delhi, Mishra said senior party leaders were attending a previously scheduled event in Tamil Nadu.“Today, Rahul Gandhi is attending a pre-scheduled event titled ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Chennai, and the entire leadership will be present at that programme,” she said.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
The CJP called for the demonstration to demand Kumar’s resignation and oppose the SIR exercise. The planned protest comes amid a political confrontation between Opposition parties and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over allegations of “vote chori” and the revision of electoral rolls.Meanwhile, Delhi Police continued to detain activists, telling them that the protest had not been legally authorised. CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke alleged that he and his associates were detained by police as they stepped off their flight at Delhi airport after travelling from Mumbai to participate in the demonstration.
Leave a Reply