Indian 'Demo-crazy' : J&K standoff and PC's arrest

New Delhi : Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday claimed that India was no more a democracy. Azad''s remarks came while he was addressing an all party meet, called by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam at Jantar Mantar protesting against the house arrest of senior political leaders of Kashmir.

"Let me tell you, we are no more a democracy. If anyone thinks that he is living in democracy that person is living in fool''s paradise," Azad said.

Azad added that, "When I was the Minister of Information and Broadcasting I had no guts to call editor of state owned media platforms to drop a story.

But now any random leader of the ruling party calls any media outlet, its editors or owners to drop the story and the outlet has to oblige. This is not a democracy."

Azad urged the Central government to restore all the Telecom services in Jammu and Kashmir and to release all the political prisoners and leaders including Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.

"Landline is not even used by 0.001 per cent of the civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, only government officials use it. If you really claim that everything is peaceful in Kashmir, then open mobile services," Azad added.

Among those participating in the demonstration was the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Indian Union Muslim League.

Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram said that his father's arrest by the CBI in connection with INX Media case is being done just to divert attention from the issue of Article 370.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said India had over the last two days witnessed "the broad daylight murder of democracy as also the rule of law." "Government is using CBI, ED as personal revenge-seeking departments for the party in power as also those ruling country", Surjewala charged.

"A seasoned politician was arrested on the statement of a woman charged with the murder of her own daughter," Surjewala said referring to Indrani Mukherjea.

"The shameless witch-hunt & unheard of abuse of CBI/ED by Modi Govt 2.0 is playing on every TV screen in India. It's a sham and shame that democracy stands dead in the hands of the BJP," Surjewala said in a tweet.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed as "very depressing" the way P Chidambaram was arrested and alleged that the judiciary was not coming to the help of a "crying" democratic system.

Banerjee quoted Rabindranath Tagore and said the "message of justice is crying silently in isolation".

Banerjee also alleged that democracy in the country was "absolutely missing while the media has turned into a spokesperson for the BJP-led central government".

I have only one thing to say. I believe that sometimes the process is incorrect. I am not talking about the legality of the matter, but he (Chidambaram) is a senior politician, ex-finance and home minister of this country.

The way his matter is being handled is very depressing,very sad and bad, Banerjee told reporters while leaving the sea town Digha in East Midnapore district Thursday.

We should not forget that Indian democracy is resting on the four pillars of the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and the press.

Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday rejected the Congress charge of "witch-hunt" and abuse of investigating agencies over the arrest of P Chidambaram, saying there was no need for the BJP-led Government to resort to such things.

"Practically... what they did (misuse of investigating agencies during the Congress tenure)... now they are suffering from the same phobia", the Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister told PTI.

The whole world knows the case against Chidambaram and his son (Karti), he claimed.

"So if at all we wanted to resort to political vengeance, we would have done earlier (in the previous term). Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid termed the arrest of P Chidambaram as 'deeply distressing' and said 'we are very confident there is no case against him'.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal, who is also P Chidambaram's counsel on the arrest said: "It's a matter of great concern to us as members of the legal fraternity, also it should be a matter of concern as citizens.

All we wanted was a hearing in SC, the presiding judge chose instead to say that I am sending the file to CJI. Isn't a citizen entitled to be heard?"