Marred by acrimony
On Thursday, the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, concluded its journey in Assam, before entering into West Bengal. The tumultuous leg of the Yatra in Assam is emblematic of heightened political tensions ahead of the 2024 General Elections. The bitter exchanges between Rahul Gandhi and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma was yet another manifestation of the persistently lowering political discourse in the country. While Rahul Gandhi dubbed Sarma as “the most corrupt CM of India”, the Assam CM alleged Rahul Gandhi for propagating “Naxalite” tendencies.
However, beyond these unsubstantiated claims and allegations, there was much more at stake in the northeastern State. The ostensible targeting of the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra by the BJP-led Assam Government on frivolous grounds reeks not just of political acrimony, but also of undermining a fundamental right enshrined in Part III of the Indian Constitution. Article 19 confers upon each citizen of the country the right to move freely throughout the territory of India, and the right to assemble peaceably and without arms. It may be noted that the right to assemble peaceably and without arms can be reasonably restricted on the grounds of sovereignty and integrity of India and public order. It is reported that minor clashes broke out between the Congress workers and the state officials after the Yatra was denied entry into certain parts of Assam without any cogent grounds. What followed was the filing of FIR against several Congress leaders on the charges of violence, provocation, damage to public property and assault on police personnel — with the Assam CM vowing to ensure the arrest of Rahul Gandhi after the Lok Sabha elections. On the contrary, the denial of a fundamental right of an Indian citizen can itself be counted as a provocation for clashes. At the top of it, apart from being a citizen of India, Rahul Gandhi is also among the most prominent faces of the opposition. The veiled or open “intimidation” of opposition is detrimental to the health of the Indian democracy.
The evidence cited for the filing of FIR is a video footage posted by a Congress leader himself, in which Rahul Gandhi is heard saying to his party workers — “You all have removed the barricade. It is our victory.” The BJP governments need to exhibit due political maturity in dealing with the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra. The Yatra is a legitimate political exercise and the saffron party must act cautiously, in the true spirit of democracy, to ensure that it doesn’t end up tweaking the tenets of law to curtail it. The parties in power are always expected not to misuse their authority against opposition, as they, too, are representatives of the people, and hold vital importance in the functioning of democracy.
As for Rahul Gandhi who vows to not “get intimidated” in his “fight for an ideology”, he has partly proven his potential by making efforts to connect to the masses. The success of Bharat Jodo Yatra bore testimony to this fact. However, his claim of “fight for an ideology” lacks content. To emerge as a formidable adversary to the mighty BJP, he still needs a comprehensive “ideology”, and rise above narrow, sharp, and volatile battles.
