‘Tyranny of unelected’ in firing line

Cong scales up attack after letter to Sonia

New Delhi, June 13: The Congress today said “the gravest threat Indian democracy faced was from the tyranny of the unelected”, refusing to recognise a “small group of self-styled leaders” as representatives of civil society and scaling up its attack on Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev.

The onslaught assumes significance as it came in response to a letter written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi by Anna Hazare, in which he had objected to the party describing him as a front of the RSS.

The party’s belligerence today made it clear that Sonia herself was now convinced that this group had behaved irresponsibly in the name of civil society and the time had come to act tough.

Asked what had changed the Congress’s perception within a few weeks, party spokesperson Manish Tiwari said: “These people mistook the government’s sensitivity as weakness. They started abusing the government, calling senior ministers cheats and frauds. They adopted this undemocratic approach that you accept my diktat or your intentions are suspect. They will start issuing threats. How can you deal with such people?”

The Congress has indicated that it does not accept Hazare’s main argument in his letter to Sonia that his campaign has nothing to do with the RSS. “Who was the first person Hazare praised after ending his fast at Jantar Mantar? Narendra Modi. Who was the second person? Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is supported by the BJP. When he went to Bangalore, he chose to attack the Centre instead of (chief minister) B.S. Yeddyurappa. What does it point to?” Tiwari asked

The Congress spokesperson came close to describing Hazare’s mindset as fascist. “His reactions in the last two months have been very aggressive, there is violence in his language. It almost appears he is reading the script prepared by the forces he is denying his links with. He says Indian voters are managed with money and liquor. This shows he does not believe in democracy. He regularly issues threats, abuses the government. He says accept my point or I go to fast. Is this a democratic approach? This reflects a mindset with scant regard for democratic norms.”

Responding to questions about the change in the Congress stand despite being in negotiations with the Hazare group on the Lokpal bill, Tiwari said: “Restraint cannot be a one-way street. The ministers are still engaging with them but they are calling them cheats, liars and frauds. There is no effort at reconciliation, as soon as there are differences of opinion, they start abusing and threatening. There are valid reasons for changing our assessment of these people.”

He recalled how Hazare said the government would have fallen had his Jantar Mantar campaign continued for a few days more. “Some people become victims of their own presumptions,” Tiwari said.

He accused Hazare and his aides of misusing the government’s magnanimity that was reflected in its decision to engage with a group of people who raised certain demands. He said: “There is serious confusion in the minds of the people as this group calls themselves civil society representatives.”

"Tyranny of the unelected" is the new slogan coined by the Congress party.
I would like the congress to answer what could the general population do when even 63 years after independence, the tyranny of the elected continue unabated.
What the congress did at Ramlila grounds in Delhi was nothing but tyranny.
A peaceful demonstration being carried out peacefully was broken up by force at dead of night.
Do you think India would have ever got independence if the British behaved in this manner with Gandhiji.
The Congress does not see the difference as that was another Gandhi and this one (Sonia) is just a pretender, an acquired name by marriage and so she does not realize the importance of the name. Or she is a true inheritor of the other Gandhi, Indira, who promulgated the Emergency.
The Congress has objections to Anna's praise for Narendra Modi? They fear to call a spade by its true name.
The whole world is praising Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, two chief Ministers where the BJP is involved in the government.
Whom does the congress want to be praised?
Sheila Dixit who is said to be involved in the CWG scam.
Or DMK Chief Minister who is an marriage with Congress?
For the 2G scam?
Or Madhu Koda with whom the Congress was bedding?
Koda is still in jail for his various scams.
Instead of giving a categorical statement giving a time bound programme for wiping out corruption, our PM says corruption cannot be removed.
It shows that the congress was not at all serious of wiping out corruption.
They were just interested in buying time so that the agitation would lose steam and then they could continue with their looting.
We have had enough of the tyranny of the elected.
Now let us listen to the unelected who lead us.
Remember, Gandhiji too was unelected