Syed Khalique Ahmed | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—Why were former union minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Chaudhary, who is president of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), were denied police permission to visit the ‘samadhi’ (memorial) of India’s fifth Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on the banks of the river Yamuna and pay tribute to the great ‘Kisan” leader on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Wednesday. Is there Undeclared Emergency in India and the country is moving towards Fascism?
Chaudhary Ajit Singh is the son of Chaudhary Charan Singh and Jayant is his grandson. Chaudhary Charan Singh is known for agricultural reforms and land reforms, including abolition of ‘zamindari’ system, in India.
December 23 is celebrated as ‘Kasan Diwas’ (Farmers’ Day) in memory of Chaudhary Charan Singh all over the country.
As the police denied them permission, they breached the police directions and visited the ‘samadhi’ of the former prime minister along with 300-400 of their workers on Wednesday morning.
“Yes, Chaudhary Ajit Singh and Jayant Chaudhary visited the ‘samadhi’ and paid their tributes to the great leader, along with their supporters on Wednesday though the police had not given them permission”, Samarpal Singh, a leader of RLD told India Tomorrow.
Singh said that a letter had been sent to Delhi Police Commissioner on December 16, requesting for permission to pay tributes at the ‘samadhi’ of Chaudhary Charan Singh. “But on December 22 evening, we were informed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District, that permission has been denied”, said Singh, adding, “We were shocked by the police reply”.
The police letter said, “Your request regarding to pay tributes at Kisan Ghat by RLD on 23-12-2020 from 7.30 hours to 10.30 hrs has been considered and rejected due to present outbreak of epidemic diseases, namely Covid-19 and as per the guidelines issued by the Central government for lockdown and law& order/traffic reasons”.
This led to furore among the RLD leaders and workers. Jayant Chaudhary first tweeted, saying “this is the democracy of New India” and then in another tweet, he challenged, “someone should stop him from reaching Kisan Ghat” on December 23. Consequently, about 300-400 RLD workers, led by Chaudhary Ajit Singh and his son visited the Kisan Ghat and paid tributes to the former prime minister.
UP RLD spokesperson Sunil Rohata, in a statement, said, “The BJP is organizing road shows and rallies in West Bengal, but by not allowing to pay tributes at ‘Kisan Ghat’ on the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Saheb, the government has shown its anti-farmer mindset”.
Reacting to it, All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat (AIMMM) president Navaid Hamid, said, “If it is not fascism, then what?”
In fact, there seems to be little logic in denying the family members of the former PM to pay tributes to him at his ‘samadhi’ in the national capital. When all public places including malls, railway stations, airports, metro rail and busy markets have been opened and people are allowed to go there, why should people not be allowed to pay tributes to a former PM on his ‘samadhi’ on the banks of the river Yamuna where there is no crowd and there are no chances of spreading of the pandemic. If there is so much fear of corona pandemic, why is the Central government allowing running of trains, operation of flights and government and private buses all over the country. Why has the government allowed operation of industries, shops and commercial establishments? Why has the government allowed assembly of 50 people at marriage ceremonies? Or the BJP government at the Centre is simply using the laws to check pandemic to harass their political detractors? Does it not amount to curbing the democratic right of the people?
