MUMBAI: On India’s 75th Independence Day,
Shiv Sena raised questions over
democracy
, freedom of speech and electronic voting machines (
EVMs
).
Sena MP
Sanjay Raut, in his weekly column RokhThok in the party’s mouthpiece Saamna, targeted the Centre and claimed that the independence of several institutions is dying today as the Parliament, judiciary and media are unable to function under a free and fair atmosphere. “Political opponents are not allowed to speak in the Parliament and ‘marshals’ are being deployed to control the opposition. Is this independence? Has independence been defeated?” Raut also claimed that “Delhi is currently witnessing the end of the golden era of democracy”.
On the opposition parties meeting at Congress leader Kapil Sibal’s home last week, Raut said there was a consensus that all opposition leaders have no option but to unite for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “Sibal, however, raised questions over the method of voting and said we will not succeed in the 2024 polls until we do away with EVMs and get back the ballot paper system. I do not speak without evidence. Sibal is not that kind of a leader or lawyer who shoots in the dark...What can one comment on democracy or Parliament when questions are raised over the polling system,” Raut said in his column.
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