'Right to protest has become a crime': Sibal slams govt

New Delhi: Lashing out at the Modi government for denotifying Jantar Mantar as a protest site, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday claimed that the situation in the country is such that protesting has become a "crime" and expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will ensure that people's right to protest is protected.

The Independent MP and senior advocate claimed that people had lost faith in the government due to “huge unemployment, economic troubles, and reduced public investment”, and said the sooner it left office, the better it would be for the country.

“We are in a situation where protest has become a crime. In other words, the right to protest has become a crime, even though the right to protest is a fundamental right in our country. But it’s no longer a fundamental right,” Sibal said at an online press conference.

Questioning the decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a protest site, he said people could now protest at Ramlila Maidan, but the ongoing Dussehra festivities would make it impossible to hold demonstrations there.

“Why should I have to go to Ramlila Maidan when I had a protest site, and why should you have cancelled it?” he asked.

Sibal alleged that violence during the earlier protest at Jantar Mantar had erupted due to the actions of outsiders, claiming that a truck carrying stones had been brought to the site without any explanation.

He also alleged that unidentified people and police personnel in plain clothes had perpetrated violence, and claimed that protesters were dragged and lathi-charged, with women assaulted.

Sibal further alleged that restrictions were imposed on transport services during protests, including the suspension of Metro services and restrictions on trains entering Delhi.

Citing examples from other countries, he said cities such as New York, London and Paris had designated spaces in their centres where people could demonstrate near important government institutions.

“Within New York City, you can protest at the Union Square or Greenwich Village. And this is at the centre of the city. If it’s London and you want to protest against Parliament or any legislation, you have Parliament Square itself next to Parliament, Speaker’s Corner at Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, or outside Downing Street at Whitehall. In France, out of several sites in the centre of Paris, you have the Bastille, the Concorde, Trocadéro -- all in the centre of Paris,” he said. Questioning why India should be an exception, Sibal accused the government of promoting democratic values abroad while restricting freedom of speech at home. "That's what you say -- that we are Vishwaguru, that our democratic traditions are a beacon for the rest of the world. That's what you go outside the country and talk of -- ”diversity and freedom of speech -- ”whereas you throttle it within the country," he said. “The pressure cooker is going to burst one of these days, and it’s going to be all your fault,” he said, warning the government.

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