Jalna, Apr 10 Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has criticized the BJP-led central government, accusing it of weakening democratic institutions, and stated that power has become concentrated in the hands of a few, reducing citizens to mere members of a crowd.
Kumar expressed his disappointment that leaders from all parties pay symbolic tributes to Dr B. R. Ambedkar but fail to follow his teachings.
The Congress leader was speaking on the topic "Indian democracy and its challenges" at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar lecture series in Jalna, Maharashtra, on Thursday, to mark the 135th birth anniversary of the Dalit icon.
He alleged that electoral processes are being manipulated by money power, with voters being influenced before elections and elected representatives being "bought" afterwards.
Referring to the ideas of Dr B. R. Ambedkar, he emphasized that political democracy cannot survive without social and economic democracy.
He said that the current situation in the country reflects Ambedkar's warnings, alleging that public assets are being handed over to a select group of industrialists.
"Today, only those with money can contest and win elections, while the common man is left behind," the leader of the opposition party said, adding that citizens have become part of a crowd and have been stripped of their identity.
Issues like polarization and hatred are deliberately used during elections to garner votes, he claimed, and accused the ruling party of spreading false narratives and diverting public attention from real issues by creating artificial problems and encouraging social divisions.
The in-charge of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) criticized leaders from all parties for paying symbolic tributes to Ambedkar while failing to follow his teachings.
He claimed that the country is being run with the power of lathis and guns, alleging that the government is deepening social divisions based on caste and religion.
Kumar also alleged that dissent is being suppressed, with those raising their voices against the government being labelled as anti-national.
"The real power does not lie with the visible faces of governance, but with those controlling the system from behind," he claimed.
Kumar called for the creation of an egalitarian society based on Ambedkar's ideology, and urged people to unite around the principles of equality to safeguard democracy and the Constitution.
