'Killing Constitution By Thousand Cuts': Mahua Moitra Accuses Modi Govt Of 'Systemic Assault', Slams DY Chandrachud
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra accused the BJP government of "killing the Constitution by a thousand cuts," citing electoral malpractices, voter disenfranchisement, and biased campaign finance.
In a speech during a Lok Sabha debate on 75 years of the Constitution, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra accused the BJP-led central government of a “systemic assault” on India’s democracy, alleging that it is “killing the Constitution by a thousand cuts.”
Moitra asserted that the political executive has systematically eroded democracy over the last decade, citing electoral malpractices, voter disenfranchisement, and biased campaign finance as key concerns. She called for preserving the idea of India in its "purest form."
Parliament Winter Session: Mahua Moitra Accuses Modi Govt Of 'Systemic Assault' For 10 Years
Moitra asserted that it was critical to safeguard the idea of India in its "purest form," stating, "This ruling party, when confronted with this charge, uses only one defence—what about Mrs [Indira] Gandhi's Emergency? Yes, that was a full-frontal attack on democracy, no questions about that, but we saw it for what it was. This government’s modus operandi has been indirect and creeping, an incremental and systemic assault for the past 10 years."
She accused the Modi government of blurring the lines between the State and the ruling party, undermining accountability mechanisms. "It is killing our Constitution by a thousand cuts," she said.
Moitra alleged that electoral malpractices, voter disenfranchisement, and biased campaign finance practices were being used to give the ruling BJP an unfair advantage. "Voter disenfranchisement has reached epic proportions in India," she claimed.
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Parliament Winter Session: Mahua Moitra Slams DY Chandrachud
Moitra criticised former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud without naming him. "The outgoing CJI waxed eloquent on how the right to bail has been granted during his tenure.... From A for Arnab to Z for Zubair, his alphabets seem to be abbreviated because it did not include G for Gulfisha Fatima, did not include H for Haney Babu, did not include K for Khalid Saifi, did not include S for Sharjeel Imam, U for Umar Khalid and countless others," she remarked.
She further said, "We in the opposition do not need the Supreme Court to do our job. We are not asking it to (do so), but what troubles us is that some members of the higher judiciary appear to be doing their best to compromise the independence and integrity of our constitutional courts."
In a veiled reference to Chandrachud, she criticised his association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a private Ganapati festival celebration. "I do not think the framers of our Constitution ever imagined a scenario where judges would rely on private conversations with the god to write judgments rather than on objective logic, on reasoning, on law and on the Constitution," Moitra said.
She continued, "Yours is not to worry about your personal legacy, yours is not to take directions from the god, yours is not to have a private family function turned into a televised circus with a political executive. The Constitution is your only god, the Constitution should be the only 'atithi' [guest] that should be at your home as your 'deva' [god]. Attention-seeking divas do not leave legacies, upholders of our basic sovereign rights will only be remembered."
There is something I would like to say to every Chief Justice of India, past and present pic.twitter.com/ewyTEENiP5
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) December 13, 2024
Parliament Winter Session: Mahua Moitra Alleges Targeted Exclusion Of Minorities, Misuse Of Institutions
The Lok Sabha member from TMC accused the government of enacting laws and policies that create a section of "second-class citizens." She cited the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, calling it "discriminatory" and violative of the right to equality before the law.
She also criticised BJP-ruled states for "bulldozer justice," alleging homes—largely of minorities—were being demolished without due process. "Another aspect is the largely-targeted exclusion of a 'hated minority' by a prejudiced majoritarian State, creating a whole section of second-class citizens whose rights are less equal than others," she said.
Moitra alleged that agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were being used to target political opponents. "In a cooked-up case against me, the CBI is wasting precious time looking for a scarf and lipstick that a friend gave me," she said.
On the Election Commission, she remarked, "Since this government has come in, two ECs have inexplicably quit before their terms ended." She accused the poll body of ignoring "blatant and egregious" violations by the BJP and Prime Minister during the last Lok Sabha elections.
Moitra expressed concern that many feel the Constitution is in danger, adding, "As responsible public representatives, it is imperative that it is put to test and checked if this is fear mongering." She emphasised the importance of upholding the principles enshrined in the Constitution, stating, "The idea of India must survive in its purest form."
Concluding her address, she recited poetry by Hilal Fareed and Faiz Ahmed Faiz to critique the government. "It is crystal clear that this political executive, for the last 10 years, has systematically eroded democracy. Our Constitution is bleeding from a thousand cuts," she said.
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