Hyderabad: Minister Ponnam Prabhakar strongly condemned what he called the “undemocratic” arrest of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, and other opposition MPs. He said the arrests took place when the leaders planned a peaceful rally to submit a memorandum to the Election Commission over alleged voter list irregularities.
Prabhakar said Rahul Gandhi was leading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra nationwide to defend democracy and the Constitution, and was now raising his voice against alleged vote theft. The BJP government, he warned, would have to “pay the price” for suppressing dissent.
Minister demands release of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, opposition MPs
He accused the BJP of being unable to tolerate facts about irregularities in voter rolls, and of even denying the opposition an opportunity to protest. Arresting Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other MPs amounted to a blow to democracy, he said, adding that such actions raised questions about the country’s direction.
Prabhakar demanded the immediate release of all detained leaders and restoration of their right to protest. He also urged the Election Commission to address Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft and take corrective action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the BJP government should not take “perverse satisfaction” from actions that undermine democracy, he said.
