BJP muzzled voices of opposition, says Rahul
Deccan ChronicleBENGALURU: Terming his Bharat Jodo Yatra as a voice of the nation and that no force can stop his padayatra, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he initiated the padayatra after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party curbed opposition voices in Parliament and media. “In a democracy, different institutions function but for opposition leaders all roads leading to these institutions including Parliament have been blocked by the ruling party and without any option I embarked on a padayatra,” he alleged, and added, “No force can stop us from holding padayatra.” Stating that his “Yatra” is aimed at “Saving Democracy”, Rahul Gandhi said people cutting across caste and religious lines met him and narrated their problems such as unemployment, price rise, atrocities on farmers, selling of public sector undertakings in the country. Leader of Opposition and Congress Siddaramaiah in his speech stated that “communal” politics and “revenge” politics have increased through the length and breadth of the country after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister. He asked people to be ready for making ''sacrifices'' to save democracy and in this effort to “Save Democracy”, not only the Congress party but also writers, intellectuals, civil society groups, farmer leaders, Communist of Party of India among others have made efforts in this direction.