New Delhi:Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday took a swipe at the BJP over its 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' campaign, saying the irony was that those accused of undermining democracy were now holding rallies in its defence.
The BJP's nationwide campaign is aimed at countering the Opposition INDIA bloc's allegations of electoral irregularities and its criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to lead a march in Hyderabad, while BJP national president Nitin Nabin is set to lead marches in Bihar and West Bengal.
Speaking to ANI, Raut said, "The destroyers of democracy are holding rallies to save democracy; this is the biggest irony. This kind of irony used to happen in other countries."
Raut continues mocking
Referring to the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' rally held at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, Raut compared it to the 1974 rally organised in support of Jayaprakash Narayan. He said the gathering was centred on protecting democracy, the Constitution, freedom and liberty.
Raut claimed that the Ramlila Maidan rally had witnessed a large turnout and alleged that police barricades and restrictions at Delhi's borders prevented more people from reaching the venue.
Reacting to the BJP's claim that the Opposition rally was poorly attended, Raut mocked the party's assessment, saying its leaders had lost the ability to see developments around them. He also referred to the situations in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh in his criticism.
The INDIA bloc rally was attended by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, among others. The march began at the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction and proceeded towards Ramlila Maidan, where thousands of supporters gathered.
Rahul says CEC Gyanesh Kumar will be jailed
Addressing the rally, Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of facilitating alleged vote theft and said he would be removed from office and jailed. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would not have reached their respective positions without the CEC.
The BJP, meanwhile, accused the Congress and other Opposition parties of spreading misinformation and creating anarchy. In a statement, the party said Nabin would lead two major 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' padyatras in Bihar and West Bengal as part of its nationwide campaign.
Nabin had also criticised Rahul Gandhi over the INDIA bloc rally, alleging that he was acting at the behest of foreign powers to create unrest in the country. He said democracy would function according to the Constitution and not the "Gandhi family's law".
Addressing a BJP march in Haryana's Rohtak, Nabin questioned the Opposition's position on electoral outcomes, saying its leaders accepted the people's mandate when they won elections but questioned democracy when they lost.
He also accused the Congress of targeting constitutional institutions out of frustration over electoral defeats and raised the issue of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying the party should apologise for the killings.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)
