During protest against suspension of MPs, Cong leaders stopped from reaching Raj Bhawan
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 22 Dec: Congress and its allies today staged a nationwide protest against the suspension of a large number of Opposition MPs from both the Houses of Parliament. In Uttarakhand, the main protest was led in Dehradun by PCC Chief Karan Mahara, and included leaders from other Opposition parties like CPI and CPI(M). The Congress leaders tried to gherao Raj Bhawan but the police stopped the Congress and other leaders and party workers by putting up barricades on New Cantt Road.
In reaction, the Congressmen climbed the barricades and jumped over. They raised slogans against the government. Later, the Police detained many leaders including Congress State President Karan Mahara, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya, former CM Harish Rawat and former PCC Chief Pritam Singh.
Hundreds of Congressmen and leaders of opposition parties took out a march from the Congress Bhawan at Rajpur Road and marched towards Raj Bhavan. The police force, deployed in large numbers, stopped the Congress leaders and others from moving beyond Hathibarkala. This led to heated arguments between the Police and the Opposition leaders. Some Congress leaders also climbed the barricades which led to arrest of many of them. The Congress leaders detained today were later taken to the Police Lines and then released after some time.
As per the pre-planned programme, a large number of Congress workers gathered at the Congress Bhawan this morning, from where they marched towards Raj Bhavan while raising slogans against the Modi Government. On this occasion, in a memorandum addressed to the President, the Congressmen alleged that the Modi Government had undemocratically suspended 143 MPs of the opposition parties, who were demanding the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the lapse in the security of the Parliament.
The memorandum further stated that Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) strongly opposes this action and condemns it. It further claimed that the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman are attacking all the norms and standards of democracy.
PCC Chief Karan Mahara claimed that the Congress Party has always had deep faith in democracy. It has a long history in establishing all the pillars of democracy in the country from the Mahatma Gandhi era till today. He claimed that preventing duly elected public representatives from doing their duty is a crime against democracy. Listening to and accepting the voices of dissent is the hallmark of a healthy democracy and the Indian Parliament is the highest forum to protect the values of democracy. This action taken by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha on their raising the issue of security of Parliament and the country is not a good message for democracy.
Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat also participated in the attempted Raj Bhavan siege. He said that democracy is being murdered in the temple of democracy. The BJP government is killing and shattering the democratic system because, those who raise the issue of lapses in their own and country’s security are being suspended from the Parliament. He further claimed that their right to express their views is being taken away, but the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are seen all over the world giving statements on the lapse in security of Parliament. However, they are not ready to make a statement in Parliament. Harish Rawat said that when someone is raising a voice in this matter, they are being suspended and shown the way out. A large number of senior party leaders including former PCC Chief Pritam Singh, the office bearers of PCC, Communist leaders Samar Bhandari and Rajendra Negi, Congress State Vice President Mathura Dutt Joshi, spokesperson Garima Dasauni, Jasvinder Gogi were among those present along with several Congress MLAs.
