BJP hits back at Congress' Krishna Byregowda for his ‘emergency’ remark

Taking strong exception to his statement, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy maintained that the country has surpassed this situation after facing such kinds of things especially during the seventies.
Krishna Byregowda
Krishna Byregowda

BENGALURU: The Legislative Assembly witnessed uproar as former minister and Congress MLA Krishna Byregowda alleged that there is an ‘undeclared emergency in place in the country’, while expressing concern that ‘it is turning out to be a managed democracy’.

“There are managed democracies across the world and India too is heading in that direction,” he stated, while speaking during a debate over electoral reforms. Taking strong exception to his statement, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy maintained that the country has surpassed this situation after facing such kinds of things especially during the seventies.

But Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri clarified that since there are checks and balances in the Constitution, the country can never be transformed into an autocratic democracy. But Byregowda clarified that the Congress has apologised for the imposition of Emergency during 1975, but asserted that presently, there is an undeclared emergency.

He also opposed the ‘one nation one election’ idea, terming it undemocratic and detrimental to the very existence of regional parties. “We need the regional parties to exist as different voices in the country. If there is a fractured mandate, and there is no consensus evolved between the parties to form an alliance government, the Centre will impose Governor’s rule,” he mentioned.

He also expressed his dissent for making voting mandatory, as it is against the fundamental rights. “It is not a fundamental duty and making exercising of the franchise mandatory is not right, as even the Law Commission has opined the same. Instead, the people can be motivated,” he said. But the Law Minister asserted that introduction of NOTA is the start of making voting compulsory, or else it will not help participatory democracy.

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