Democracy in India facing trouble: Raut on BBC survey

February 15, 2023 08:22

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said democracy in India is facing trouble, comments coming in the backdrop of the Income Tax department survey at the BBC's offices in the country.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party, in its earlier avatar as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), had opposed the Emergency (1975-77), but the same outfit is now targeting the judiciary and the media.

The Income Tax department on Tuesday conducted survey operations for over ten hours at the BBC's offices in Delhi, Mumbai and two other linked locations as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion, officials said in the national capital.

"When questions are asked to the government or Prime Minister, such raids take place (referring to I-T survey at BBC offices) or arrests are made. Democracy in this country is in trouble.

"During the Emergency, when censorship was forced on newspapers, the BJP (in its previous avatar BJS) had agitated against it. Now, when their government is in power, they are targeting the judiciary and the media," Raut said.

The Rajya Sabha member questioned the rationale behind issuance of a notice to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for some of his statements made in Parliament.

"When Rahul Gandhi asked questions in the Lok Sabha, he was given a notice, when the BBC made a documentary on a particular subject (Gujarat riots of 2002) their offices in Mumbai and Delhi were raided, Raut said.

He said the BJP will face defeat in the upcoming bypolls to Kasba and Chinchwad Assembly seats in Pune district.

"People have rejected the BJP (in the just held Legislative Council polls) and the same result will be seen in Kasba and Chinchwad Assembly bypolls," said the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.

"The Shiv Sena and our chief Uddhav Thackeray have a separate identity, Raut said when asked about Thackeray meeting the Dawoodi Bohra community's religious head in Mumbai. -- PTI

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