New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Congress leader Nana Patole on Saturday criticised the restrictions imposed in Delhi in view of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest, accusing the Central government of creating an “Emergency-like situation” in the country and alleging that it was afraid of facing the public.

Commenting on the protest and the restrictions imposed across the national capital, Patole, speaking to IANS, said the developments reflected a decline in democratic functioning and asserted that people had the right to demonstrate peacefully and fight for their rights.

“This is what we (Congress) are saying: there is nothing left in the democratic system; the country has been declared irregular. If the government had been elected through a democratic system, such restrictions would not have been imposed. The people have the right to protest and fight for their rights. The Modi government has basically created an Emergency-like situation in the country. Since 2014, there has been an undeclared Emergency in the country,” the Congress leader said.

He also condemned the suspension and disruption of transport services and claimed that the Union government was increasingly apprehensive about confronting citizens.

“Today, the way all trains coming to Delhi have been stopped, the Metro has been shut down, and people are also travelling by flight, only to be deboarded and arrested, raises serious questions. If this kind of internal system has emerged in the country, and the way the Modi government has created an emergency situation, we condemn it. The Modi government is scared. It is no longer capable of presenting itself as PM Modi does to the people of the country, and it is no longer ready to face the people of the country. The government is scared, and that is why it is taking such action,” Patole said.

The Congress leader also drew a comparison between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and British rule in India, alleging that the present dispensation was imposing restrictions on democratic protests.

“These people (the BJP government) are worse than the British. Mahatma Gandhi did not protest during British rule, but many leaders did. So, if this (Narendra Modi) government does not allow the right to protest in a democratically formed government, then it is worse than the British. And that is why they are cowards. That is why they arrested (CJP founder) Abhijeet Dipke on the way and removed him from the flight,” Patole said.

He also responded to the BJP’s criticism of the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi over his remarks following the Opposition delegation’s meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.

“They (BJP government) are scared people. They know that the day the by-election is held, the BJP will never come to power. And so, if the BJP does not come to power, their parrots will continue to call them parrots. All the leaders of the country’s INDIA bloc were present there, and the President (Droupadi Murmu) spoke to them all. She too acknowledged that such fraud is taking place in the country, and she will look into it. Rahul Gandhi’s statement is the truth,” Patole said.

–IANS

sd/khz