Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot lends support to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee​; says democracy under threat

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday supported TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee over her concerns on democracy and the constitution, saying he has echoed the same issues many times.

"What Mamta Banerjee has said is right that the central government is working to weaken states. The Centre should think to strengthen the states instead of weakening them," Gehlot, who is in Assam campaigning for the assembly polls, told PTI over phone.

He was reacting to a letter written by Banerjee to non-BJP leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, wherein she alleged that the Centre-state relations were at its worst since independence.

As she faces a high-stakes poll battle in West Bengal, Banerjee said the time has come for a "united and effective" struggle against the BJP's alleged attacks on democracy and the Constitution, and that opposition leaders should try present a "credible alternative" to the people of the country.

Gehlot asserted that he has raised the same concerns inside and outside the assembly.

"Democracy in the country is under threat and people should understand its gravity," he said.

The senior Congress leader said the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax department and other agencies are working under pressure from the central government, adding that those who express disagreement are labelled 'anti-nationals'.