UPA presidential candidate Meira Kumar has expressed her hope that the “voice of conscience” will prevail over numbers in the upcoming presidential election.
Addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of a meeting with Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs here on Thursday, Kumar said the country had witnessed elections powered by the voice of conscience even in the past. “People’s conscience has tremendous power, enough power to change (electoral) arithmetic,” she added.
The presidential candidate said she has written to every member of the electoral college, asking them to extend their support to her at a time when a particular ideology is being forced on crores of people across the country.
Kumar maintained that the upcoming election should not be viewed as a Dalit versus Dalit fight. “It is a battle of ideologies,” she said, adding that 17 opposition parties have come together on a common platform of social justice, principles and values for the purpose.
She also called for the demolition of the caste system, bringing about an era where people of various religions and sects live in peaceful co-existence. “We want to bury the caste system but, unfortunately, a ‘manuvadi’ ideology is being thrust on the people. Atrocities against Dalits are on the rise, and there is a threat to the freedom of the Press. This is a matter of concern,” she said, adding that India will return to the path of progress only if these issues are resolved.