‘Assault on Indian democracy’: Around 1,000 artists, activists, others come up in support of Rahul Gandhi

Opposing Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from Lok Sabha, around 1,000 politicians, teachers, artists, scientists, cultural workers and civil society members on Tuesday said that the Congress leader has been targeted for his "relentless criticism" of the Narendra Modi government inside and outside Parliament.

In a statement released by academician Apoorvanand, scientist Gauhar Raza and activist Shabnam Hashmi on behalf of the signatories, asked people to take all measures to "save" the Parliamentary democracy from the "assault from the ruling party".

"The action against Rahul Gandhi has to be viewed as part of defaming and criminalising the Opposition and demolishing the entire democratic structure. We appeal to the people to rise to the occasion and defend the Opposition to save parliamentary democracy in its own interests, before it is too late," they said.

They warned that democracy dies if all institutions are used to disable the Opposition from doing its job by criminalising its political acts.

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The statement, also signed by leaders Yashwant Sinha and Mani Shankar Aiyar, Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi and historians Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee and S Irfan Habib among others, said the action against Rahul raises "serious questions about the manner" in which India's democracy is being run today by the people at the helm of affairs.

"Whatever be the argument defending these two acts, it is clear that Rahul Gandhi has been targeted for his relentless criticism of the government, inside and outside Parliament," the statement was also signed by activists Syeda Hameed and Ram Puniyani among others.

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Emphasising that the "entire episode" is an "assault on Indian democracy", it said "we need to underscore the fact that the Opposition has a duty to speak on behalf of the people and make the government accountable for its acts. Democracy dies if all state institutions, including judiciary, are used to disable the Opposition from doing its job by criminalising its political acts".

They said they have seen with concern the "constant persecution of Opposition leaders using various investigative agencies and by putting them in jail. We have also been disturbed by the unprecedented disruption of the Parliament by the ruling party. The role of the presiding officers in not allowing the Opposition leaders to use the forum of Parliament to air peoples' concerns is subversion of democracy."