TMC govt to stay out of Centre's Emergency anniversary event: ‘mockery of democracy'

Indian Express

5 hours ago

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at the BJP-led central government over its decision to observe June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas (Constitution Murder Day), marking 50 years since the imposition of the Emergency.
Calling the observance a 'mockery of democracy,' Banerjee said her government would not participate in what she termed a hypocritical political exercise. 'Those who don't respect the Constitution are now talking about upholding its morality. It's a mockery,' Banerjee said.
Last year, the BJP-led government at the Centre had announced that from 2025, June 25, the day Emergency was declared in 1975, would be observed as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas'.The idea is to create awareness about what the Constitution stands for, and how the government has taken steps to strengthen it, an official had said .
Question Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Banerjee asked, 'Who is the Prime Minister of the country? Narendra Modi or Amit Shah? Modi keeps travelling and leaves other tasks to Amit Shah. He could just name Shah as the PM, then.'
She accused the BJP of consistently attacking democratic institutions and undermining the very Constitution it now claims to uphold. 'They (BJP) are killing democracy every day, damaging fundamental rights, altering the Constitution, and pushing their agenda on people. They are the jumla sarkar,' she said, referring to the BJP's promises.
Slamming the BJP over what she termed its undemocratic practices, Banerjee asked whether the 'toppling' of democratically elected governments in Maharashtra and Bihar by the BJP was not an attack on the Constitution.
'They have turned the federal structure into a joke. When anything happens in Bengal, 155 teams are sent. What happens during Gujarat riots? Or when a BJP MP speaks against women after the Pahalgam attack?.. After the Pahalgam attack, five questions have been raised by our party. None of them have been answered. The special Parliament session has also not been held,' she added.
Accusing the BJP of weakening democratic checks and balances, she alleged that the BJP has ensured that all the pillars of democracy, be it the Election Commission or the media, are compromised.
Banerjee also claimed that more than 140 people died during the demonetisation exercise and called November 8 'Economy Destruction Day.'
The chief minister further raised objections to a reported letter from the Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhavan proposing June 20 be celebrated nationally as Bangla Divas. Calling it an insult to Bengal's identity, she said, 'Poila Boishakh has already been declared as Bangla Pratishtha Divas. Who are they to rename it?'
While speaking about the Ahmedabad plane crash, she claimed the death toll was hidden and no FIR had been filed despite the deaths of junior doctors. 'Are their lives worthless?' she asked.
Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal.
Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More