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Akhilesh slams ‘One Nation One Election’, says it’s fatal for democracy
Akhilesh Yadav opposes 'One Nation, One Election' bill, calling it undemocratic and a threat to federalism, warning it could lead to dictatorship.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has strongly opposed the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill that was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. As per him, it was another attempt to end reservation that was fatal for our democracy.
“In democratic contexts, the word ‘one’ itself is undemocratic. Democracy is in favour of plurality. There is no place for others in the feeling of ‘one’. Due to which social tolerance is violated. The feeling of ‘one’ at the individual level gives birth to ego and turns power into dictatorship,” Yadav said in a statement on X.
“The decision of ‘one nation-one election’ will prove fatal for true democracy. It will also deal a big blow to the federal structure of the country. This will end the importance of regional issues and the public will remain trapped in the illusion of those big pretentious issues,” he alleged.
“When states were created in our country, it was believed that areas with similar geographical, linguistic and sub-cultural background should be identified as a unit of ‘state’,” the SP chief said.
“The thinking behind this was that the problems and expectations of such areas are the same. Hence, considering them as one, public representatives should be made from bottom to top up to the level of village, assembly, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,” Yadav wrote.
“At its core, local to regional concerns were at the top. The idea of ’one nation-one election’ is a conspiracy to overturn this democratic system itself,” he said.
“In a way, this is also another conspiracy to end the Constitution. This will reduce the importance of states as well as Rajya Sabha. Tomorrow, these BJP people will demand dissolution of the Rajya Sabha as well and will give a new slogan ‘one nation-one assembly’ to bring their dictatorship,” the SP chief alleged.
“The truth is that in our country, considering the state as the core, there is a Constitutional provision for the continuity of ‘Rajya Sabha’,” he said.
“Lok Sabha is for a period of five years. If this happens, autocracy will take the place of democracy, due to which the country will move towards dictatorship. The sham election will only become a means to gain power,” Yadav alleged.
“If the BJP people think that ‘ONE NATION, ONE ELECTION’ is a good thing, then why delay, dissolve the central and state governments and hold elections immediately,” he demanded.
“Is the issue of ‘one country, one election’ a bigger issue than inflation, unemployment, joblessness, disease that BJP people are raising it,” Yadav asked, alleging the BJP was diverting attention from these big issues.
