Former national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shehzad Poonawalla, launched a pointed critique against the Congress party on Saturday, using Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture of forgiveness towards young individuals who made objectionable remarks against him to question the persistent allegations of the Prime Minister being a “dictator.” Poonawalla, speaking sarcastically, expressed ‘disappointment’ with Modi’s approach, suggesting it undermined the very notion of authoritarianism.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Poonawalla stated, “It has been 12 years, and he has been a failure. He does not even know how to become a proper dictator.” He highlighted that instead of acting as an authoritarian leader, Modi had publicly appealed for forgiveness for the youth, urging society, the police, and others to extend grace to them for their actions.
Poonawalla then directed his criticism towards the senior echelons of the Congress, suggesting that Rahul Gandhi should instead provide guidance to Prime Minister Modi on the actual manifestations of “dictatorship and Emergency.” He drew parallels with the Emergency period under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, alleging that during that era, political adversaries were incarcerated, parliamentary proceedings were stifled, and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, were curtailed. The BJP spokesperson also referenced historical protest movements, such as the Assam Students’ Movement, the Nav Nirman movement, and the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement, asserting that participants in these agitations faced arrests and police action under previous Congress administrations.
Furthermore, Poonawalla contended that recent legal actions against social media users and protesters in states governed by Congress were indicative of authoritarian inclinations, contrasting these with Prime Minister Modi’s recent appeal for leniency. He maintained that the Congress party’s own political history and the conduct of governments led by the party were more demonstrative of authoritarian tendencies.
“Rahul Gandhi, a descendant of Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, should teach Mr Modi what a real dictatorship and a real Emergency look like. In Kerala, cases were reportedly registered against three Instagram users for insulting Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, your governments withdrew cases against protesters from the Cockroach Party, while in Kerala, cases were allegedly filed against around 5,000 people. In Karnataka, people have faced cases over displaying posters, and even a rap artist has faced legal action,” he stated, detailing alleged instances of repression in Congress-ruled states.
Invoking the historical narrative of the Congress, Poonawalla asserted that the party had a consistent record of suppressing dissent during its periods in power. He elaborated, “Look at the history as well. Who first curbed freedom of speech? Jawaharlal Nehru. Who imposed the Emergency? Indira Gandhi. Who silenced Parliament and jailed political opponents? Indira Gandhi. When saints and seers came out to protest, who had them fired upon? Indira Gandhi. During the Assam Students’ Movement under a Congress government, thousands of people allegedly lost their lives. During the Nav Nirman student movement, many people were jailed and many were allegedly killed.”
Poonawalla also referenced the anti-corruption movement spearheaded by Anna Hazare, drawing a stark contrast with the Prime Minister’s recent call for forgiveness. “We also saw what happened during the Anna Hazare movement in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Around 1,300 to 1,500 people were jailed. Anna Hazare himself was imprisoned, and Ramdev was allegedly assaulted. Yet today, when children abuse people, the response is simply that ‘children make mistakes’ and they should be forgiven,” he remarked.
Continuing his critique, Poonawalla alleged that Congress leaders themselves exhibited authoritarian behaviours. “At the same time, Rahul Gandhi is, according to this argument, behaving like a real dictator by having cases registered over Instagram posts. During the HCU protests, Revanth Reddy allegedly said he would strip protesters naked and beat them. Engineering students were also allegedly abused,” he added.
Concluding his address, Poonawalla maintained his satirical tone, remarking, “PM Modi, it has been 12 years, and you still have not managed to become a dictator. The expectations that many left liberals had have been completely shattered. You have failed. I’m so sorry.” Poonawalla’s video message, which took a jibe at the Congress, was released later on Saturday, following a controversy that erupted over a 15-year-old girl from Noida, against whom a Zero FIR was registered for allegedly making objectionable remarks targeting Prime Minister Modi during a protest on July 23. The girl subsequently issued a video apology, stating she was influenced by others at the demonstration and regretting her actions. Prime Minister Modi later addressed the incident in a video message, referring to the youth involved as “gumrah” (misguided) and emphasizing that while they had used abusive language, children often err and it is society’s duty to guide them back to the right path. He stated that he forgave them.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
