Amid criticism from Opposition parties that the central government has been trying to crush the voice of Opposition leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday revealed that he believes in a strong opposition as it is a part of a vibrant democracy. PM Modi, while maintaining that he has no personal disregard for any Indian opposition leaders, further stressed on the fact that parties should try to get rid of their history of dynastic politics as it deters the common youth from participating in politics. The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering at President Ram Nath Kovind’s ancestral village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat.
“I have no personal resentment towards any political party or any person. I want the country to have a strong opposition, political parties dedicated to democracy. I want the parties trapped in the clutches of familism, to free themselves from this disease, to cure themselves. Only then India’s democracy will be strong, youth of the country will get maximum opportunity to join politics,” said PM Modi.
“In India, even the poorest person born in a village can reach the post of President-Prime Minister-Governor-Chief Minister,” PM Modi said, adding, “It is familism that stifles not only politics, but talent in every field, prevents them from progressing further.”
Once again, PM Modi emphasised the importance of ridding the country of family-run parties as it was one of the major hindrances to India’s democracy. Few days back, PM Modi had trained his guns at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and said that “parivaarvad” was India’s greatest enemy.
Modi’s remark comes amid growing criticism of the central government using central agencies to crush opposition voices. After Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection to the National Herald money-laundering case, the Congress accused the Modi government of trying to suppress the National Herald newspaper just like the British Empire before independence.
As Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain was arrested, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal dared PM Modi to arrest all the AAP leaders together. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek have, time and again, hit out against the central agencies for trying to harass them and their ministers. On Thursday, KCR alleged that the Modi government was trying to economically suppress the rise of states like Telangana. Few days back, former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy hit out at PM Modi saying that it was communal politics, not dynastic politics, that was India’s biggest enemy.