New Delhi: The nationwide Congress protests against ED summons for Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case are not about a person or a party but about the BJP’s misuse of central agencies for political gains and to protect democratic institutions in the country, senior leader Sachin Pilot told ETV Bharat’s Amit Agnihotri in an exclusive interview.
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
ETB: The Congress is protesting nationwide against ED summons for party chief Sonia Gandhi and earlier for Rahul Gandhi, right?
Sachin Pilot: This is not about a person or a party but about the BJP’s misuse of central agencies for its political end over the past eight years. Every single department and every single agency of the central government has been misused for political ends, even the Delhi police, which did what it was told to do by the political masters.
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They have been in power for the past eight years and need to answer on issues like price rise, GST on food items, Rs 80 to a dollar, sliding economy, high unemployment, agrarian crisis, and Chinese intrusion across the Line of Actual Control. We want all these issues to be debated in Parliament but are not allowed. Instead, our MPs are suspended for an entire session. They are just targeting the opposition leaders. They misuse the central agencies against whoever raises a voice against them and have been doing this for the past eight years. After all, who is answerable for all this?
ETB: So, how does this reflect on the Centre?
Pilot: This kind of throwing out of the MPs for the entire session has never been heard of. Instead of debating people's issues, they are suspending the MPs both in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha who raise people’s issues in Parliament. What kind of a republic are we forming? You have to give space to the opposition. There is a justifiable demand to raise issues. It just shows that the mindset of the government is to use the brute force of the majority and not to listen to any voice that is opposed to them. We believe people’s issues should be taken up in Parliament but they are muzzling the voice of the opposition.
ETB: What about the NH case?
Pilot: The same is happening in the case of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. This is a false case. This is like choking democracy. This is political vendetta. But we are opposing it together. Fictitious cases are being filed, there is no FIR, no criminality, there is no give and take so how can there be a case of laundering. This questioning has been initiated to damage the morale of the leadership, target the opposition leaders and trample upon the voice of the opposition.
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All Congress leaders and the people will stand against this, we will fight, we will also take on them politically and will expose the central government. The Congress leaders and workers are standing with Soniaji. No matter how much they try, we will not allow them to divert attention from the real issues of the people. Look at what is happening, they have used police to seal our party office, they are using force, there is a misuse of power and mandate. Soniaji's questioning by the ED comes days after Rahulji was questioned by the agency in the case for over 50 hours in sessions spread across five days in June.
ETB: Your party was even denied permission to protest at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat in New Delhi. Your comments?
Pilot: See, Rajghat is a public place, anybody can go and stage a peaceful protest there. In the past, there have been several dharnas there, including from the BJP. What is wrong with holding a dharna there? That apart, we were not even allowed to protest outside our party headquarters where we were protesting peacefully. That is a very unhealthy sign for Indian democracy.
ETB: How will the Congress counter this situation?
Pilot: We believe in the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi. We will continue with our protests. This country is far more important than one party or one ideology. The country’s democratic institutions cannot be allowed to be eaten up like this. We are persevering.
ETB: How will the Congress take these issues to the people?
Pilot: People have to be made aware and truth be told. We are doing everything possible to do that. After all, we are fighting only for people's issues. The people are getting hit by the problems like price rise and unemployment. The government can claim that everything is fine but they need to answer a lot. Our fight will go on. There is blatant misuse, the one who comes close to power, that person's wrongdoings are forgiven and the one who opposes you, you try and get that person declared an offender. The whole opposition is united on this.
