HYDERABAD: Human Rights Activist Teesta Setalvad accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government of misusing the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown to curb protests, fundamental freedoms, permanent enforcement of Section 144 through the Epidemic Diseases Act, for passing the Mining and Mineral Laws, new Labour laws, Farmer bills in Parliament and issuing the draft Environment Impact Assessment notification.
Setalvad was delivering a memorial lecture, ‘State of our Republic’, organised by the Human Rights Forum on the tenth death anniversary of K Balagopal, the founder of the HRF.
The activist accused the BJP government of causing an undeclared state of Emergency, unlike the one during former PM Indira Gandhi’s rule, which, she said, could at least be legally challenged.
Speaking on the recent Hathras gangrape and murder incident and the Babri verdict, she accused the ideology of the BJP as one that promotes unequal citizenship, discriminatory law, casteism, patriarchy and communalism.
Setalvad said that the ruling dispensation is using the Parliament to demolish the Constitutional structure and morality brick by brick.
She said that police cases have been registered against an endless list of Muslims for criticising the PM and UP CM.
She also highlighted how the Delhi Police charged 19 people under the draconian UAPA in connection with the Delhi riots, of which 19 are Muslims.
Setalvad also raised the issue of NCR and pointed out how it excluded 19 lakh people from Assam in the final list of government welfare, benefits and rights.
They, she said, who will have to make rounds of the foreigner tribunals for years together.