Opposition members from the Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Tuesday came up with strong allegations of suspension of constitutional rights in Manipur and criticized BJP MPs for their silence during a debate on the Constitution.
During discussions on the “Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India,” TMC’s Sushmita Dev said that members from the Northeast should resign, adding that the rights given to the citizens under the Constitution have been diluted in Manipur.
“While we debate the Constitution, I ask, which constitutional rights have not been suspended in Manipur? Liberty, freedom of speech-everything is being curtailed,” Dev said. She demanded the resignation of all Northeast MPs and ministers supporting the ruling party.
Dev further accused the BJP of promoting inequality among the citizens, especially over the NRC in Assam. “There is no equality in how the NRC has been implemented,” she said, contending that the government seeks to establish “one election, one leader, one religion,” against the dream of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for the country. She termed the current government “fascist.”
CPI(M) member John Brittas seconded this, saying that the Prime Minister should go to Manipur and discharge his duties. He said there was an erosion of public trust in every institution, from the Comptroller and Auditor General to the Election Commission and the media. Brittas termed the situation an “undeclared Emergency” and said the “One Nation One Election” move was nothing but the extension of one ideology.
Brittas also demanded a JPC to probe the financial transactions of Hungarian-American businessman George Soros. Dev pointed to the policies of the government and said while corporate loans are being written off, farmers are dying due to debt burden. She said the middle class is reeling under heavy taxes, while the tax rates of the corporates keep on decreasing due to the policies of the government.
She faulted what she described as “two destructive policies” of the central government: the demonetization initiative and the lockdown after the Covid-19 pandemic, both of which she said devastated the informal economy.
Ram Nath Thakur, the Janata Dal (United) leader and Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said: “We are committed to protecting the spirit of the Constitution in letter and spirit”. Praising the Prime Minister for honoring former Prime Ministers P.V. Narasimha Rao and Charan Singh and former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur with Bharat Ratna, he asked why the Congress did nothing for them when they were at the helm of affairs in the country.
