Farmers Movement Archive

‘Covid curbs deterring fight to save democracy’

Thrissur: Eminent lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan has alleged that the government was imposing unnecessary and illegal restrictions on the people in the name of Covid-19 and this has become a major factor in dampening the intensity of protests against virtual emasculation of democracy going on in the country. Delivering the Chinta Ravi memorial lecture online on Saturday, Bhushan said, “Time has come for the people to come out to the streets to protest, defying the Covid lockdowns and 144 restrictions, against the ongoing systematic and continuous attack on the basic features of the Constitution and rule of law”. “In my view, Covid is of course a problem, but there are even more serious problems than Covid. If you see the collateral damage that is being done by these lockdowns and other restrictions, it is more serious than Covid. Therefore, time has come for the people to gear up, get up and fight to reclaim our Republic,” he said. Bhushan said all the basic principles of the Indian Constitution are under threat now. “Laws are being passed in Parliament within minutes, without any significant discussions. Even the farm laws are being passed within minutes. The practice of referring the bills to Parliamentary standing committees has been done away in many cases. This has reduced even the limited public participation in the making of the laws,” he said. Bhushan alleged that the independence of the institutions like the Election Commission, CAG, NIA, Enforcement Directorate and CBI has been seriously compromised. Attempts are being made to influence even the judiciary and the media through overt and covert methods, he alleged. R Vaigai, advocate of Madras High Court, who also spoke at the event, said in the case of CAA, the state has gone completely against the Constitutional scheme of secularism. “CAA recognizes religion as a basis for discrimination. In my opinion, no law can be made by Parliament which can lay foundation on religion as a basis to divide or discriminate people. Therefore CAA is a complete negation of the constitutional values,” she said. Chairman of Chinta Ravindran Foundation and writer Shashi Kumar and advocate Kaleeswaram Raj were among those who spoke on the occasion.

The Times of India

2021-07-12

Kochi