Following the nationwide crackdown on rights activists, civil society members and prominent citizens on Thursday said democracy and Constitution were under threat.
Speaking at an event held at the Press Club of India here, author Arundhati Roy said, “This is an attempt to divert attention from the losing popularity that the BJP is facing right now and to fracture Opposition unity. By such arrests, in effect, they are isolating lakhs of people as these activists are the representatives of those people.”
“The current scenario is a coup against the Constitution, which is potentially more dangerous than the Emergency. This is an attempt to overturn the Constitution. Whoever does not agree with the ruling dispensation is being criminalised” said Ms. Roy.
Gujarat MLA Jigensh Mevani said, “The arrests seem like a combination of undeclared Emergency, fascism and the Gujarat model. Every person who opposes the ideology of the ruling dispensation and those who fight for the rights of people are being terrorised. Their second attempt is to discredit the Dalit movement and Dalit assertions. This is not a war that activists have waged on the state but rather one which the state itself has started.”
‘To create sympathy’
Mr. Mevani added, “Theories about the Prime Minister’s assassination are being floated to create sympathy for Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the 2019 elections. This is an attempt to divert attention from the real concrete issues like demonetisation, GST and farmer suicides. However, we will not get terrorised and shall carry nationwide rallies to make our voices heard.”
Stating that the current situation is that of a “constitutional breakdown” and “failure of the rule of law,” activist and founder of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) Aruna Roy said, “Today there is maladministration and failure of respect to the Constitution. The right to freedom of expression is decreasing constantly and this is dangerous for a democracy. ”