“No tangible reflection of enforced silence, our freedom of expression next to none”: Dhankhar days after Sonia Gandhi’s attack on Centre

New Delhi [India], April 20 (ANI): Days after former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s attack on the Modi government for allegedly “enforcing silence” on key issues through an editorial column in an English daily, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said there is no enforced silence and level of freedom of expression in India is next to none.

Addressing the civil servants on the occasion of Civil Services Day here, Vice President said, “We are the largest and the mother of democracy. Our democracy is the most functional and vibrant at all levels. The village, municipalities, States and the Centre…In no Constitution in any other country, you will find a provision for Panchayat. We have it in Part IX of our Constitution. This kind of hierarchical democratic mechanism you do not have anywhere else in the world.
“Some in the world find it…I do not know for what cause to question us on some of our greatest achievements. Our level of freedom of expression is next to none. Can there have greater freedom of expression than what we have in the country? I am sure no one can match us. There is no tangible reflection of enforced silence,” added Dhankhar.

He said Parliament alone is ‘incharge of legislation’ and competent to enforce it.

“Indeed painful to suffer some who adopt Ostrich stance to our phenomenal growth and flourishing democratic values. In and out of the country they engage in misadventure to demean, decry, taint and tarnish our democracy and constitutional institutions,” Dhankhar said.

Vice Presidents’ remarks came against the backdrop of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi lashing out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government in an editorial piece in a leading English daily earlier this month.

Sonia Gandhi said that the Prime Minister was blaming past leaders for today’s ills, ignoring the most pressing and vital issues of the day.

Sonia further wrote that the government’s deep-rooted disdain for democracy and democratic accountability was disturbing.

“The people of India have learnt that when it comes to understanding today’s situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions speak far louder than his words. His statements — when he is not venting anger on the Opposition or blaming past leaders for today’s ills — either ignore the most pressing, vital issues of the day, or are platitudes and verbal gymnastics to gloss over or distract from these issues. His actions, on the other hand, leave little to the imagination on the government’s true intentions,” Sonia stated in her piece.

She claimed he is silent on legitimate questions about his government’s actions affecting millions’ lives.

“Enforcing silence cannot solve India’s problems. The Prime Minister is silent on legitimate questions on his government’s actions which affect the lives of millions. After failing on his promise to double the income of farmers by 2022, the Prime Minister has conveniently fallen silent. But their problems of rising costs and unremunerative prices for their crops remain here and now,” her column read.

The former Congress president also accused PM Modi of dismantling all three pillars of democracy.

Invoking the logjam in the Parliament, she said it was a ploy to prevent the Opposition from raising issues of grave concern to the country and its people.

“Over the past months, we have witnessed the Prime Minister and his government systematically dismantling all three pillars of India’s democracy — the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, with their actions demonstrating a deep-rooted disdain for democracy and democratic accountability. Consider first recent goings-on in Parliament. In the last session, we saw a government-led strategy to disrupt Parliament and prevent the Opposition from raising issues of grave concern to the country and its people, such as unemployment, inflation and social divisions, and discussing the year’s Budget and the Adani scam among other vital issues,” Sonia wrote.

“The systematic effort to undermine the credibility of the judiciary has reached crisis point, with the Union Law Minister calling some retired judges “anti-national”, and warning that “they win pay a price”. This language is deliberately chosen to misguide people, inflame their passions, and thereby intimidate serving judges,” she added.

Sonia further said that Congress is determined to continue its fight to safeguard the voice of the people.

“The Congress party will make every effort to take its message directly to the people, as it did in the Bharatiodo Yatra, and will join hands with all like-minded parties to defend the Constitution of India and its ideals. Ours is a fight to safeguard the voice of the people. The Congress party understands its solemn duty as the principal Opposition party and stands ready to work with all like-minded parties to fulfil it,” her column read.