'Muzzled Democracy': Cong slams govt over mass detentions amid massive anti-SIR protests

Kharhe slammed the govt saying, "Detentions, arrests, jails, lathis and pellets cannot deter the people."NEW DELHI: Congress party on Saturday slammed the government over mass detentions amid massive protests against CEC and SIR in Delhi.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the government saying, "Modi Govt has turned the “Mother of Democracy” into a ‘Muzzled Democracy’!" "Our youth, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farm union leaders, You Tubers, content creators, everyone who is questioning this regime are being detained," he posted on X. "The cowardice of the BJP-RSS is on full display today. Detentions, arrests, jails, lathis and pellets cannot deter the people of India. Since the days of our Freedom struggle, the youth have been at the forefront of shaping the nation’s destiny. The Congress Party, along with the united Opposition, will fight this tyrannical regime, tooth and nail," he added.Further vowing to continue the protests, Kharge furthe said, "We shed our blood to win India’s freedom. We will continue to fight, with every ounce of our strength, to defend our Democracy, our Constitution and the fundamental rights of every Indian."Other Congress leaders including Shashi Tharoor, Ashok Gehlot, Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also took jab at the government amid the protests and mass detentions."Freedom of movement stands completely shackled. Jantar Mantar was designated precisely so that citizens could voice dissent in the centre of Delhi, and today even the roads leading to it have been declared out of bounds. One is entitled to ask where this extraordinary manpower and urgency disappear when women in our capital need protection, "said Tharoor on X. "Those detained will hvre to be released .And if the protesters simply return on Monday, will the authorities lock down the national capital all over again? Our GenZ deserves better than an undeclared Emer-GenZ," he added in his statement.Read more: 'Our Gen Z deserves better than Emer-GenZ' - Shashi Tharoor slams 'war-like deployment' of cops for CJP protestMeanwhile, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot accused BJP of discrediting the opposition for raising questions. "Rattled by questions, BJP National President Shri Nitin Nabin is now having to act as the Election Commission's lawyer," Gehlot said on X.The BJP and the RSS did not believe in democracy and were now portraying opposition protests as attempts to destabilise the country, he further alleged. "The BJP itself took to the streets when it was in the opposition. Which foreign forces were involved then, and which are involved now?" he asked.Additionally, backed the right to protest, saying, ""The right to protest is a primary tool in a democracy. The youths should have been granted permission to protest at Ramlila Maidan. There is no point in trying to suppress their voices, as it can never be silenced," the chief minister said, adding, shutting down internet and or detaining people during protests, is not appropriate for a democratic system.In the meantime, KC Venugopal announced that INDIA bloc will hold a major protest in Delhi on Monday as part of its ongoing campaign to safeguard people's voting rights. "The Congress and the INDIA bloc will continue their agitation until the electoral process and system were made free and fair," he told reporters in his Lok Sabha constituency, Alappuzha.Read more: Congress to hold 'major stir' on Oct 12 as anti-SIR protests escalateThis comes amid heightened security across Delhi on Saturday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition groups attempted to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Delhi Police detained CJP leaders, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and several protesters as they tried to reach Jantar Mantar, where the demonstration had been denied permission. Opposition leaders, including ex-Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, were also reported detained. Police deployed thousands of personnel, erected barricades, restricted traffic and closed several metro stations to prevent protesters from reaching central Delhi.