On crimes against Dalits, Nirupam says the Congress government punished the perpetrators but with the BJP in power, the culprits are left untouched.
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government may harm the Indian democracy but can’t end it, Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam said Thursday.
Nirupam said democracy is a fundamental part of India and is in its “DNA”.
The former MP was in conversation with Manasi Phadke, associate editor at ThePrint, at the seventh edition of Democracy Wall.
Democracy Wall is a monthly free speech campus initiative organised by ThePrint in collaboration with Facebook. The event at KC College, Mumbai, featured Nirupam, activist Archana Kapoor, rapper Kekho Thiamkho, actor Divya Dutta and stand-up comedian Abijit Ganguly.
“Not known to many, but Vaishali was India’s first republic in the Vedic age in India. Democracy makes foundation of culture. It is a part of our tradition,” said Nirupam. The Modi government’s influence cannot stay for long. The ethos of India will bring take us back to our roots.
Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter activity
Earlier this month, Congress president Rahul Gandhi shared a video on his Twitter profile of two Dalit children who were assaulted on camera. On 20 June, Maharashtra child rights body sent a notice to Gandhi for ‘disclosing the identity’ of the children.
Asked about Gandhi’s move to share the video, Nirupam said, “He was not wrong in doing so. He was condemning the act.”
Nirupam said crimes against Dalits have been happening for a long time. “During the Congress regime the perpetrators were punished. However, now when BJP is in power the culprits are left untouched,” he said.
Instead of pointing fingers at Gandhi, the present government must be asked about what it has done to bring justice to the victims, said Nirupam, adding that the current narrative is biased.
Farmer suicides
The Congress leader said it is important to waive loans for farmers. “When Congress was in power, we gave loan as well as interest waiver for the farmers,” he claimed.
After BJP came to power, farmer suicides have increased significantly, Nirupam claimed, further saying that farmers aren’t paid well.
In March this year, farmers in Maharashtra walked from Nashik to Mumbai seeking their demands be met by the governfarment. “It has been months since the march, but the Maharashtra government has not disclosed any details or has taken any steps to help the farmers,” said Nirupam.