My Opinion

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s video speech telecast on Tuesday clearly shows that his government is desperate after Pulwama killings, mostly due to international pressure and domestic fiscal crisis.

Imran Khan has been visiting many capitals, seeking foreign aid to tide over the present financial crisis. He managed to get a promise of $22 billion investment from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but by then, Pulwama killings had already taken place and there was international pressure from several quarters on Pakistan to take action against terrorists.

According to sources, the Pakistani PM pleaded with the Saudi Crown Prince to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to mediate and help in easing tensions on the border. Clearly, with a depleting treasury, Pakistan cannot afford to face a conflict with neighbouring India.

India’s stand is crystal clear: There can be no third party in any negotiation on the issue of Kashmir, which is clearly a bilateral issue. After the Pulwama killings, Prime Minister Modi has emphatically said that the time for talks is over. It is now time for action.

It is in this context that Imran Khan gave his video speech exuding false bravado on Tuesday and said, his country “will not think about retaliation, but will retaliate”. This was purely for his country’s domestic consumption, and the ground reality is that Pakistan is desperately seeking a way out of the present mess.

Imran Khan even offered to probe if India gave “actionable evidence” on his country’s role in Pulwama killings. The answer was given on Tuesday evening itself by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely. He said, the evidence (Jaish chief Masood Azhar) is sitting inside Pakistan, and there was no need to give evidence.

Imran Khan, clearly under pressure from his army, said in his video speech that “we know it is easy to start a war. It is in the hands of humans to start a war, however, to end the war isn’t in our hands. In which direction this will go, Allah knows better.”

I want Imran Khan to look at the pictures and videos of 92,000 Pakistani army soldiers surrendering to Indian army after the 1971 Bangladesh war. I want to tell Imran that our army knows better how to end a war.

In 1971, Pakistan started the war, and the end result was: Pakistan was cut into half. In 1999, Pakistan started the Kargil conflict, and the result was: Pakistani army had to withdraw from all the heights it surreptitiously occupied, after suffering heavy casualties. Till date, since independence, India never waged war against Pakistan, but ended all wars by scoring victories.

India presently faces two challenges, one, China, and two, Pakistan’s nuclear power. It is easy to make big statements on television, but entirely different when we face ground realities. And yet, we all have full faith in the capability, valour and strategy of our armed forces. It is the army, which will decide how, when and where to strike. It may be that our army may manage to regain Pak Occupied Kashmir.

I want to issue an appeal to all: Kashmiris are our brothers and sisters. Some Kashmiris may have taken up the gun, but to view every Kashmiri student and trader in different parts of India with suspicion is uncalled for. It is our duty to protect our Kashmiri brothers and sisters in this hour of crisis and tension.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan today flatly denied any role of his country in the Pulwama killings and asked India to provide ‘actionable evidence’ of his country’s hand in the suicide blast. In the same video speech, Imran Khan has warned that his country would retaliate if India attacked. He said, ‘If India attacks, Pakistan will not think of retaliating, it will retaliate’.

Sabre-rattling notwithstanding, Imran Khan should know, India has never waged a war against Pakistan in the past, whether in 1948, or 1965, or 1971 or during the Kargil conflict. In all these four instances, it was Pakistan which first attacked India. This time, with the Pulwama killings, Pakistan has once again provoked India, and Prime Minister Modi has been left with no other option but to strike back.

It was Modi who took the peace initiative in inviting the then PM Nawaz Sharif to attend his oath taking ceremony. He tried to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan on every occasion. After he visited Lahore to attend Nawaz Sharif’s birthday celebration, Pathankot air base was attacked. When he had talks with Nawaz Sharif, the terror attack in Uri happened. Clearly there are many hawks in the Pakistani establishment who do not want peace with India, and Imran Khan should identify and sideline such hawks.

The situation has now come to a pass where Prime Minister Modi has clearly said that the time for dialogue is over and it is now time for action. It is with this in mind, he has said that the armed forces have been given a free hand to plan and execute any such plan.

Since the Pulwama killings, the question that is being asked at bus stops, inside Metro, at street corners and in the drawing rooms of the elite is: Will India take a major punitive strike against Pakistan?

Instead of replying to this, I would prefer to rephrase the question: Is there any option other than a strike left for Modi? The answer is a big NO. The only option left before a grieving nation is: We have to teach Pakistan a lesson. Prime Minister Modi cannot afford not to take action. And if he can’t take on Pakistan, no one else can.

Modi has clearly read the public mind. He told a rally in Bihar that his “heart is burning” like the hearts of the common people. He has also said, the blood of every Indian is “boiling”. Today Modi said, the time for talks is over and action is the need of the hour.

The problem is, Modi does not have much time left in hand to carry out a strike against Pakistan. Elections are knocking at the door. Modi cannot afford to go to the people seeking their votes with the scars of Pulwama killings still fresh. As an astute politician, Modi would rather go for elections after he has taught Pakistan a proper lesson.

Normally, any war is neither declared nor fought by giving prior notice to the enemy. But in the present situation, the option of a war is no more secret. Not only the enemy (Pakistan), but the whole world is aware that Indian armed forces are going to strike at Pakistan soon. And this time, the action may be targeted not only at militant camps inside Pak Occupied Kashmir. It’s Pakistan, which is on the radar of our army.

The second challenge that I foresee is from China. Both China and Pakistan claim they are “all weather friends”. China has been opposing a resolution at the UN Security Council to declare Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist. We will have to ensure that China now falls in line and backs India’s demand for a collective action against terrorism.

The third challenge is the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear armed country and we must have the ability to counter the enemy effectively.

In the Indian establishment presently, there are three strands of thought; one, PM Modi can’t afford to go for general elections without striking back at Pakistan. two, a limited action seems to be current option available, and three, there is a strong lobby that is demanding that India must reoccupy Pak Occupied Kashmir and abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, since the will of the Indian people is in favour a pro-active stand on Kashmir issue, that has brought untold miseries on the common people for several generations.

As the entire nation paid respects to the CRPF jawans martyred in the cowardly suicide attack in Pulwama, Kashmir, it is gratifying to note that the whole nation, irrespective of ideology, region or religion, is one on the need to teach our neighbouring country a lesson that will be remembered for generations.

At the Palam Air Station on Friday evening, with Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the three Armed Services chiefs, and senior ministers watching, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid wreath on the mortal remains of martyrs, and then silently walked around the coffins with folded hands, his face grim with grief and determination. Hours earlier, the Prime Minister had remarked that “the blood of every Indian is boiling”.

Clearly, the people of India want a swift and precise retaliation, and they have full faith in the determination of our Prime Minister. I have heard many Prime Ministers in similar situations in the past, but Prime Minister Modi, with his balanced choice of words has endeared himself to many. Pakistan needs to be taught a lesson and the Army has been given a free hand. The Prime Minister clearly said that Pakistan has committed a grave mistake and it must bear the consequences.

Modi’s words has brought a sense of relief in the minds of Indians, but the real challenge remains. Millions of Indians will get a true sense of relief only when the retaliation against the perpetrators of Pulwama massacre is carried out in a precise manner. India has the right to self-defence, and it must teach a lesson to Pakistan on its own soil, whatever may be the fallout.

India had been and is a peace loving country, but a country seeking peace does not mean that it must cower in the face of heinous attacks. India follows the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, but it also worships Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, who hit out at the nation’s enemies without fear. India follows the teachings of Gautam Buddha, and yet it honours its brave heroes like Chhatrapati Shivaji and Maharana Pratap, who hit out at their tormentors with valour. The Pakistani leadership did not chose to understand our message of peace, and India has no option but to follow the footsteps of its brave national warriors.

The most satisfying part is that Prime Minister Modi understands the pulse of 130 crore Indians. All the political parties are united in this hour of national grief. Pakistan has committed a big blunder, and the call of the poet Chand Bardai rings in our ears. Chand Bardai in a famous couplet had guided the blinded and imprisoned king Prithviraj Chauhan of Delhi, how to shoot precisely to kill Sultan Muhammad Ghori sitting on his resplendent throne.

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It is with a deep sense of grief and sorrow that I pen these lines. There is outrage across the nation over the suicide attack in Kashmir that took the lives of 44 CRPF jawans sitting inside a bus. The nation stands with the families of martyrs in their hour of grief. A grieving nation expects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to take revenge against the perpetrators of this heinous act. Our Prime Minister has clearly said today that neighbouring Pakistan has made the biggest mistake and our army has been given full freedom to strike back at a time and place of its own choice. Modi has said, “sacrifices of our martyrs will not be in vain, and the perpetrators of this heinous attack will be given an unforgettable lesson”.

Already, after the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security, the government has decided to withdraw MFN (Most Favoured Nation) rights from Pakistan with immediate effect. The Pakistani High Commissioner in India has been summoned by Ministry of External Affairs and a tought message will be conveyed.

Let me tell what happened on Thursday afternoon in Kashmir valley. Our CRPF jawans were going in a massive convoy from Jammu to Srinagar after the reopening of the highway after a spell of snow. There were 2547 CRPF jawans in 78 vehicles, and they were hardly 30 km away from Srinagar, when the suicide bomber struck. He drove an SUV laden with large amount of explosives and rammed into a CRPF bus, blowing it and his own vehicle into bits. Later, Jaish-e-Mohammed, the terror outfit led by Masood Azhar claimed responsibility for this attack. Masood Azhar and his cohorts are based in Pakistan, helped and trained by ISI, the Pakistani spy agency.

Jaish had prepared a video showing the suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar, a youth from Pulwama, declaring his intention to strike The video was released within minutes of the attack on social media. India TV has shown a letter from Intelligence Bureau sent on February 8 to DIGs of CRPF in both North and South Kashmir in which it was clearly said that terrorists could target their convoys with improvised explosive device (IED). The letter was shared with district SSPs in which information was given about an explosive expert of Jaish, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who had entered Pulwama with two of his associates.

Already the National Investigation Agency has begun to probe as to how the attack took place. The entire nation is in mourning and there is clamour for taking revenge against Pakistan. The common man in the street wants our armed forces to give Pakistan a befitting reply. To predict what the armed forces will do can be a bit premature. Our army prepares its own plan so that it can be execute with precision at a time and place of its own choice, like it did when it carried out a surgical strike soon after the Uri terror attack.

The martyrdom of our jawans will not go in vain. Burying all our political differences, we should focus on how to repay Pakistan back in its own coin. If we fail to take action now, our future generations will never forgive us.

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The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft from France was tabled in Parliament on the last day of the session. The report clearly states that the contract to acquire 36 aircraft was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the price that was being negotiated by the UPA governent in 2007, but not nine per cent as claimed by the Modi government.

In a comprehensive evaluation of the Rafale aircraft deal with the French government, the report said that the deal was better on price, but the NDA government could have driven a better deal if it had not offered certain concessions.

Now that the CAG report on Rafale deal has come, it should be time for Congress president Rahul Gandhi to stop his continuous tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Rafale issue.

The Congress president on Wednesday said that the report “is not worth the paper it is written on”. He said, the CAG ignored the dissent note from the members of the negotiating committee that clearly contradicts the government’s position on prices and delivery. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the CAG report has vindicated the government’s stand and “it has blasted the big lie that was being spearheaded by the Congress”.

Now that Rahul Gandhi has rejected both the Supreme Court’s verdict and the CAG report, it is quite clear that he wants to make Rafale an election issue so that some amount of mud could stick to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My view is that one can find flaws in the functioning of PM Modi, one can disagree with his policies, his statements and his style of working, but the allegations that he is corrupt or his honesty can be doubted in this deal, will not go down well with the common voters.

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Samajwadi Party workers went on the rampage in several cities of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday after police prevented their party supremo Akhilesh Yadav from going to Prayagraj. Yadav was to address his students’ wing supporters there, but was prevented from boarding the aircraft at Lucknow airport. The reason given was that Yadav’s meeting with students in Prayagraj could create law and order problems.

It is true that nobody can justify the need to prevent Akhilesh Yadav from addressing a public meeting. He is, after all, a mass leader in his own right. Ironically, it was the UP CM Yogi Adityanath, who when prevented from addressing a BJP rally in West Bengal by Mamata Banerjee’s administration, had levelled charges of dictatorship on her government. Simiiarly, Mamata Banerjee has no right to allege that opposition leaders are being prevented from addressing public meetings. In 2015, the then UP CM Akhilesh Yadav had similarly prevented Yogi Adityanath from visiting Prayagraj to address a rally.

I believe all these three instances, of preventing leaders from addressing rallies, go against the very grain of democracy. Opposition and the right to dissent have a rightful place in a democracy. Every political party and leader has the democratic right to address public meetings.

Ensuring law and order is the prerogative of the administration and police, but if political gatherings are disallowed on grounds of law and order, it does not augur well for a democracy. No matter which party’s government is there, or the ideology it follows, all political parties should trust the public at large. After all, it is the people who listen to everybody and then elect leaders, whom they think can serve them well.

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Newly appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra began her political innings on Monday with a debut roadshow in Lucknow, accompanied by her brother and party chief Rahul Gandhi. The same day she opened her first official Twitter account to connect with her followers on social media.

The roadshow did enthuse thousands of party workers in Uttar Pradesh, who appeared jubilant with the entry of Priyanka in active politics. Questions are not being raised about the political benefits that may or may not accrue to the Congress party. There is no doubt that crowds will surge at Priyanka’s roadshows and party rallies, but the problem lies in converting this enthusiasm and eagerness into votes because of the simple reason that the Congress party lacks a well-oiled machinery in Uttar Pradesh down to the booth level.

It is because of this realization that party chief Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that he was aiming at a major victory in the UP assembly elections three years from now. As far as electoral losses are concerned, Priyanka’s entry may dent the prospects of Samajwadi Party-BSP ‘mahagathbandhan’.

There are some leaders in Congress who are saying openly that Priyanka’s entry is not to shore up the party prospects in the general elections, but to protect her husband Robert Vadra, who is facing relentless questioning from Enforcement Directorate in Delhi and Jaipur. These leaders say that if Robert Vadra is arrested, Congress party will go to town to allege that PM Narendra Modi has become afraid after Priyanka’s entry and that it was a political revenge.

Here we have to note one particular point. The questioning by ED in Jaipur is being made on the orders of Rajasthan High Court, and Priyanka is throwing the political dice through gestures loaded with political meanings.

On the first day when she took over as party general secretary at the AICC office, she first accompanied her husband to the ED office, and then drove to the party office. In Lucknow, on Monday, after completing her roadshow, she left for Jaipur, to be with her mother-in-law and husband, facing questioning by the ED. No doubt, Priyanka will not make any comment in public, but her gestures do convey a message to the people. The message is: now that I have entered politics, my husband is being harassed.

On Friday, the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in an exclusive interview on my show ‘Aaj Ki Baat’, clearly said that the more Congress President Rahul Gandhi levels baseless and false charges on Rafale deal, the more common people will support Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the forthcoming general elections.

The reasons are simple: Modi himself replied to all charges on Rafale deal in Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Sitharaman herself gave out a detailed reply in Parliament, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley wrote several blogs describing the manner in which Rafale deal was finalized, the Supreme Court in its verdict clearly said there were no irregularities in the selection and pricing process, the apex court even went to the extent of questioning senior Indian Air Force officers who were part of the negotiating team, but Rahul Gandhi is harping on a single theme: that PM Modi gave away Rs 30,000 crore from the deal to industrialist Anil Ambani”s group. Rahul could not come forward with a single piece of concrete evidence nor any witness to corroborate his charges.

Now that the election season is on, the rounds of accusations will multiply.

I will now turn to a Defence Ministry file noting dated 24th November, 2015 in which the then Defence Secretary had objected to the Prime Minister’s Office carrying out “parallel negotiation” on Rafale deal, and had written that this had “weakened the negotiating position of the MOD and Indian negotiating team”.

The page from the file notings, was published incomplete by a newspaper on Friday morning, and immediately Rahul Gandhi called the media to show the noting page. It was left to the Defence Ministry to show the complete page from the notings file, in which the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had clearly responded to his Defence Secretary saying that ” it appears that the PMO and the French President Office are monitoring the progress ..which was an outcome of the summit meeting . Para 5 (in which the objection was raised) appears to be an over reaction. Defence Secretary may resolve the matter in consultation with the Principal Secretary to the PM.”

It would be advisable for Rahul Gandhi to be careful before jumping to conclusions on the basis of an incomplete noting page. He should also refrain from dragging Indian Air Force officers into the debate by addressing them directly to say that money meant for their safety was being given away to industrialists. This will cause incalculable harm to the discipline and integrity of our valiant Armed Forces officers.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while giving a detailed report on what his government has done in the past 55 months, replied to each of the major charges levelled by opposition parties on the issues of unemployment, farm distress and Rafale deal. In a 110-minute reply in Lok Sabha, Modi compared 55 months of his governance with 55 years of governance by Congress, and gave a comparative assessment.

Modi’s speech appeared to be part of the agenda that he is going to set for his nationwide whirlwind election campaign that begins today from Chhattisgarh. In his comparative study of 55 years of Congress rule with 55 months of NDA governance, Modi cited facts and figures relating to railways, highways, employment, farmers’ welfare, Mudra bank loans, cleanliness driver, electrification, LPG connections, etc.

Modi vowed to continue his government’s strong drive against corruption. He narrated how nearly 3 lakh ‘benami’ companies were detected and shut down, and ‘benami’ properties acquired through ill-gotten wealth were being seized. Towards the end of his speech, a determined Modi said emphatically that the corrupt and the looters will fear him as he would spare none.

Replying to the opposition’s allegation that his government had weakened institutions like the CBI, judiciary, Election Commission and the army, Modi hit back asking who had denigrated the army by planting baseless reports of a non-existent coup attempt. He also asked who had publicly tore up a Cabinet resolution of his own party’s government.

Modi asked who had sought to weaken the EC by questioning the electronic voting machines. He also asked which party had orchestrated a move to unseat the then Chief Justice of India through a notice of impeachment motion in Rajya Sabha. He also asked which party leader had described the army chief as a street goon (sadak ka gunda).

Modi also replied to the opposition charge that his government allowed looters of public money like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi to flee India. He said, his government has already taken measures to extradite these economic fugitives and has begun seizing their properties. He also pointed out how nearly 20,000 NGOs who were getting unaccounted money from foreign shores had to wind up because of his government’s tough policy measures.

The PM described the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of opposition parties as Maha Milavat (grand adulteration), a combination of disparate political parties whose leaders have diverse views on major policy issues and most of them nurse ambitions to become the PM.

No doubt, the BJP cadre is going to start its Lok Sabha election campaign with gusto by using the Prime Minister’s no-holds-barred speech. The aim is to ensure that Modi’s message reaches each and every household before the crucial elections.

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The Enforcement Directorate officials on Wednesday questioned Robert Vadra, husband of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in connection with a money laundering case involving a London property purchased from fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. The said property at Bryanston Square, London is worth 1.9 million pounds. Vadra has denied any links with the said deal.

There are several cases of economic offence pending against Vadra. One relates to the purchase and sale of land plots in Rajasthan during the tenure of then CM Ashok Gehlot. Vadra has to appear at the ED Jaipur office for questioning too. Similar controversial land deals in Haryana by Vadra’s firm have resulted in filing of FIR in which the then CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been made accused.

ED officials claim they have solid evidences in the money laundering case relating to the London property. Since the ED appears to have an airtight case, Vadra has taken interim bail and protection from arrest till February 16, and he duly appeared before ED on Wednesday.

Since the cases will have a political fallout on the future of Priyanka Gandhi and party chief Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka accompanied her husband to drop him at the ED office and then proceeded to the AICC office to take over as party general secretary. While doing so, Priyanka said, “He is my husband. He is my family. I support my family. Everyone knows why this is being done.”

It is now up to the ED and law courts to decide whether Vadra is guilty or not, but Priyanka is nonchalant. On Wednesday, she discussed with party leaders about the political situation in eastern UP, and plans to visit the region soon.

A survey by India TV-CNX in 43 Lok Sabha constituencies of UP, after Priyana’s entry into politics has showed that the Congress party may gain in vote share, but conversely it will result in loss to the SP-BSP Mahagathbandhan and gain to NDA. The jury is still out.

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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s government refused permission to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s helicopter to land in Bankura on Tuesday, and the BJP rally had to be cancelled. Yogi however managed to land his chopper in Barmasia near Bokaro in neighbouring Jharkhand, and travelled nearly 30 km by road to address a huge gathering in Purulia. Two more senior BJP leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Shahnawwaz Hussain were denied permission to hold rallies in Murshidabad district. Similarly, on Sunday, Yogi’s chopper was denied permission to land in Balurghat, North Bengal, and he had to address the gathering via phone.

Denying permission to hold public meetings amounts to throttling the democratic aspirations of the people, that too, by a leader who is herself crying hoarse over “Save Democracy” slogan.

I would again like to remind Mamata Banerjee of the days when the then ruling Left Front used to prevent her from addressing gatherings, and their goons used to beat up Trinamool Congress supporters. Mamata had to struggle for more than a decade against Left Front rule in the face of bomb attacks, stoning and arson carried out by Left Front cadres.

It surprises me when I find the same leader imposing blanket restrictions on landing of helicopters and holding of public meetings by the BJP. This does not augur well for democracy. Every political party has the right to hold public meetings, and Mamata Banerjee must know that she would herself campaign using chopper during the Lok Sabha poll in BJP-ruled states. What would happen if the BJP decides to repay her back with the same coin?

It is true that Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is facing a strong political challenge from the BJP in West Bengal, but as a seasoned political leader, she should know how to tackle such a challenge politically. This challenge cannot be met through administrative orders denying permission in order to throttle democracy.

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to make himself available for questioning by CBI in faraway Shillong instead of Kolkata, and “faithfully” cooperate in the central agency’s probe into the Saradha chit fund scam. The apex court also directed the CBI that no “coercive steps” including the arrest of the Commissioner must be taken in course of the investigation. The Supreme Court has also sought replies from Rajeev Kumar on CBI’s allegations that he was tampering with electronic evidence and providing the agency with doctored materials.

The CBI officers had gone to the official residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner on Sunday evening to question him on the scam because it was he who headed the Special Investigation Team set up by Mamata Banerjee’s government. Rajeev Kumar was given notices four times by the CBI to be available for questioning, but the Commissioner not only evaded these notices, but refused to reply to them.

Naturally, questions arise as to why the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the unprecedented step of going to her Police Commissioner’s residence, prevented him from being questioned by CBI and pitched up a tent in Kolkata to stage an impromptu dharna. The main question that is being asked is what is she trying to hide?

Let me make it clear here. The Saradha chit fund scam probe began during the UPA rule. Lakhs of people lost their hard-earned savings in this scam. It is the Supreme Court which is supervising the CBI probe into the scam. The CBI team had not gone to arrest any Trinamool Congress leader on Sunday evening. The team only wanted to question the Police Commissioner, who had headed the SIT.

Mamata Banerjee sat on her dharna, with IPS and state police officers sitting with her, along with her party leaders. She called up almost all the Opposition leaders across India seeking their support. Some of the leaders reached the dharna site, but most of the other leaders preferred to offer verbal support only.

The West Bengal CM is raising the slogan of ‘Save Democracy’, but on ground, democracy is in peril in her own state because of her governmental machinery.

BJP is not being given permission to organize rallies for BJP President Amit Shah, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Shahnawaz Husain. Choppers of Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath are not being given permission to land in West Bengal. There were murderous attacks, ransacking of BJP offices and bomb blasts during the panchayat elections last year. Candidates of opposition parties were physically prevented from taking part in elections. BJP candidates who won the panchayat elections are hiding in neighbouring Jharkhand state out of fear of being attacked by TMC cadres.

In such circumstances, if Mamata Banerjee is giving a call to ‘Save Democracy’, she should know that it cannot be a one way route. And I also let me remind her one thing from the past: She came to power after fighting tooth and nail for democratic rights and freedom in West Bengal. She faced curbs and tyranny of the Left Front government. She has a right to protest but she should allow others also their democratic rights to communicate with the public.

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