The Centre’s tackling of protests against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi is a reminder of the treatment people of Kashmir have faced over years, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said on Saturday, asserting that “suppressing” the voice of the opposition, and denying people the right to raise legitimate concerns, “undermines” the spirit of democracy.
In a statement issued here, Farooq said good governance and effective administration require a strong, active and empowered opposition that can highlight public grievances and hold the government accountable.
“The role of the opposition in a democracy is not confined to criticism alone, but also includes representing public aspirations, reviewing government policies and safeguarding constitutional and democratic values,” he said.
The former chief minister said “suppressing” the voice of the opposition, refusing to tolerate dissent and denying people the right to raise legitimate concerns “undermines” the spirit of democracy and renders claims of good governance “meaningless”.
“A strong democratic system rests on freedom of expression, respect for differing opinions, public participation and institutional accountability. Any departure from these fundamental principles is detrimental to democracy,” he said.
An unprecedented security clampdown and the detention of over 7,000 protesters, including CJP leader Abhijit Dipke, four former chief ministers and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, helped the government thwart a planned mass mobilisation at Jantar Mantar on Saturday to press for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
{{/usCountry}}An unprecedented security clampdown and the detention of over 7,000 protesters, including CJP leader Abhijit Dipke, four former chief ministers and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, helped the government thwart a planned mass mobilisation at Jantar Mantar on Saturday to press for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
{{/usCountry}}Expressing concern over the alleged use of “intimidation, pressure and excessive force to silence dissenting voices and create an atmosphere of fear”, the NC chief said the approach being adopted to “suppress” people’s voices in the capital reminds one of the “treatment that people of Kashmir have faced over the years”.
“Silencing public voices, restricting dissent and ignoring legitimate demands do not resolve problems but instead widen the gap between the people and those in power. The strength of democracy lies in ensuring that every citizen has the freedom to express their views and pursue their rights through peaceful and constitutional means,” he added.
Mufti condemns Centre’s crackdown in New Delhi
Former J&K CM and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti took a dig at the Centre over the police crackdown in New Delhi, saying it reminds her of Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
“Today’s Delhi is a chilling reminder of Kashmir after the unconstitutional abrogation of Article 370. People were locked in their homes, the internet was shut down, and an entire region was placed under siege. The BJP then brazenly claimed that nobody had protested,” Mufti wrote on X. “Today, with Delhi under siege, trains halted and roads to Jantar Mantar sealed, they may repeat the same lie, claiming that nobody protested against Gyanesh Kumar. First crush the protest, then deny it ever happened,” Mufti added.