KOCHI: Prominent Supreme Court lawyer and activist, Prashanth Bhushan, has said that the death of Sidharthan J S, a student of Pookode Veterinary College, is a serious issue and illustrates the ‘gundagiri’, involving the cadres of SFI and CPM in Kerala. He was speaking at the programme ‘Vote n Talk’ organised by the Ernakulam Press Club on Saturday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
“It is unfortunate that the police do not act with the kind of alacrity with which they have to act. This is unfortunately a problem that I am witnessing in the state. The CPM and its cadres have been violating rule of law, which is the same thing we are seeing at the Centre, where mobs are given free rein to do whatever they want to do. It is now being seen in Kerala how the cadres of the CPM and the SFI treat other people. This must be stopped,” he said.
He remarked that such incidents are happening more under the rein of the present Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “It was not like this at the time of V S Achuthanandan,” he said.
‘2024 LS polls will decide nation’s fate’
On the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Bhushan said that Narendra Modi can only return to power if voting machines are tampered with, raising concerns about the state of democracy and the fundamental rights of citizens.
“I do not doubt that these EVMs are capable of being manipulated, but probably they are. Otherwise, there is no possibility of the BJP even reaching the majority if there is a free and fair election,” he said. “But if it comes to power again, I think we can say goodbye to this republic. The 2024 Lok Sabha election will decide whether India remains a democracy or not,” he said.
Most western countries have abolished EVM as detailed judgements and reports state that they are unreliable, and went back to the paper ballot system. “What are they doing with this democratic country by misusing investigative agencies and triggering unemployment and poverty? People are given free rein to lynch people from minority communities on the streets and in states where the BJP is in power. The police are doing nothing about this,” he said.
Recently, many important laws were passed in Parliament, including the Broadcast Bill and the Bill on criminal law, without any discussion, and most of the Opposition members were suspended during their passage. The Election Commission has been converted into a caged parrot of the government. “Even the judgment of the Supreme Court that election commissioners cannot be appointed by the government alone but must be appointed by a committee including the PM, leader of the opposition, and chief justice, has been surpassed by enacting a new law,” he said.
