ITANAGAR, 23 Jul: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) strongly condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 22 July protest outside Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan here, terming it an act of “political desperation and intolerance.”
Terming the protest “undemocratic and illegal,” the APCC stated in a release that the BJP had no authority to lecture the Congress party on democracy while its own government is facing nationwide questions over examination irregularities, alleged paper leaks, failures of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and the uncertain future of millions of students and young aspirants.
“Instead of answering the questions raised by students, parents and the opposition, the BJP is attempting to divert attention by targeting the Congress party. This is nothing but political desperation and an attempt to escape accountability,” APCC general secretary Chera Taya said in a press release.
He said the Congress party has consistently stood with the students and youth of India.
“Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has relentlessly raised the voice of NEET aspirants and young people who have been affected by examination irregularities and the alleged failure of the examination system. He has refused to remain silent on issues affecting the future of India’s youth and has continuously raised questions regarding examination irregularities, paper leaks, unemployment, educational inequality and the future of millions of young Indians,” the APCC general secretary said.
He further said that the BJP’s action is particularly serious because it is the ruling party in the state and at the Centre, while the Congress is the principal opposition party.
“When a ruling political party organises a protest directly outside the headquarters of the principal opposition party, it raises serious questions about political intimidation, misuse of power and the erosion of democratic conventions,” he said.
Taya said also that the APCC has learnt that the capital administration and the state police had not granted permission for such a protest to be staged in front of the APCC headquarters.
“If the protest was indeed conducted without the requisite permission, the matter cannot be treated as a routine political demonstration,” he said.
The APCC said that the law cannot be selectively applied.
“If ordinary citizens, students, opposition parties and civil society organisations are required to obtain permission for public demonstrations, the ruling party cannot claim special privileges or immunity from the same rules,” Taya said, and demanded a thorough and impartial inquiry into the circumstances under which the protest was organised outside the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan.
The party demanded that appropriate administrative and legal action must be initiated in accordance with the law if the protest was conducted without the required permission.
“The administration must ensure that no political party, regardless of whether it is in power, is permitted to violate established laws, regulations and democratic norms. The security and dignity of the APCC headquarters and its leaders, workers and office-bearers must be protected,” the release added.
The Congress party said it believes in democratic debate, peaceful political mobilisation and constitutional methods of protest. But democracy cannot be reduced to a licence for the ruling party to intimidate the opposition, it said.
The APCC reaffirmed that it will continue to stand with the students and youth of Arunachal Pradesh and the country and raise its voice against corruption, examination irregularities, unemployment, administrative failures, and every issue affecting the future of the people.
