RAIPUR: Without naming any political party or individual, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on Saturday that the nation was witnessing a “growing influence of dictatorship in our democracy.”
At the bhoomi-pujan of the new Chhattisgarh Assembly building in Naya Raipur, she alleged that the influence of tanashahi (dictatorship) over lokshahi (democracy) was getting stronger and said that bad thinking was subjugating good thoughts.
Democratic institutions were being destroyed and “anti-national and anti-poor forces” were spreading “hatred and the venom of violence” in the country, she added.
“Today the country finds itself at a crossroads with our democracy encountering new challenges. Anti-national and anti-poor forces besides those who rule by making the people fight against each other are spreading animosity and the venom of violence.”
Sonia said there was an attempt to silence the people. “These elements want to suppress the voice of the people. They want our youth, tribals, our women, our farmers, businessmen, our jawans and the people of the country to remain silent and keep their mouth shut,” she said.
Mahatma Gandhi, G V Mavalankar and B R Ambedkar would have never imagined that the country would face such a difficult situation, the Congress president said.
Call to save democracy
Legislature remains the biggest pillar of democracy, Sonia said.
Parliament and Assemblies are temples of democracy that safeguard the Constitution, she added.
“But the Constitution will not be saved through buildings, it will be protected by emotions.”