BJP MP and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday that India is “not a banana republic” and that the country will be governed from Parliament, not from the streets.
He was speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, hours after Delhi Police detained several Opposition leaders and members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. Those held included former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, and former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. They had gathered to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police had refused permission for the demonstration. “India is not a banana republic. “One, Indian democracy has thwarted attempts to incite anarchy. Much of the attack by BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, however, focused on Leader of the Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi and the recent protests by the Congress-led INDIA bloc.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, this country has never bowed and never will,” Prasad said. Pointing to the events of the past three days, Prasad said two things had become clear. Two, the country will be governed by Parliament, not by the streets,” he said. Earlier reporting noted: ‘India Is Not A Banana Republic’: BJP Attacks Congress, CJP Amid Protest Crackdown ‘India Is Not A Banana Republic’: BJP Attacks Congress, CJP Amid Protest Crackdown ‘India Is Not A Banana Republic’: BJP Attacks Congress, CJP Amid Protest Crackdown Earlier reporting noted: “We are not opposed to protests, but you have weaponised street protests because of your electoral defeats,” said BJP spokesperson and MP Ravi Shakar Prasad, aiming at the Congress directly, though he did not name the CJP. “We are not opposed to protests, but you have weaponised street protests because of your electoral defeats,” said BJP spokesperson and MP Ravi Shakar Prasad, aiming at the Congress directly, though he did not name the CJP. Earlier reporting noted: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called it a “victory of the people” as massive police action across Delhi, and even beyond, aimed to scuttle a protest call by the youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over alleged electoral fraud on Saturday.
Attack on Opposition
“Protests should take place in a democracy. He then described how the protests had unfolded. “Rahul (Gandhi) ji held on for three days before leaving. Then came CJP, doing ‘shadow boxing’ for the Aam Aadmi Party. The drama began in the morning, followed by the arrival of Arvind Kejriwal and others. Then Mamata (Banerjee) ji wondered why she should be left behind, so she showed up too, and the CPI/CPI-M also joined the fray. Prasad ended by praising the public. “We are proud of the people of India for thwarting and defeating this conspiracy of theirs (opposition parties).
Because of your electoral defeats, but you have weaponised street protests.
Prasad said the Union government was not against protests, but accused the Opposition of misusing them. And the surprising thing is that you are not even moving together,” he said. Taking a dig at the INDIA bloc, he said: “There is competition even within that. These defeated, desperate individuals have been harassing the people of Delhi for the past three or four days and weaponising street protests,” he said. The dignity of democracy has destroyed the chronic anarchy which the Opposition is trying to ferment,” he said.
