Kerala: BVK warns against pressuring judiciary through mass protests

Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Vichara Kendram (BVK) has criticised the march to the Supreme Court led by the Leader of the Opposition on October 12 over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), warning against attempts to pressure democratic institutions through mass protests.

BVK Director R. Sanjayan on Wednesday said it was regrettable that attempts were being made to undermine India's democratic system, which had evolved over seven and a half decades.

He said the march to the apex court was unprecedented in the country's history and questioned whether such tactics were being used to secure favourable judicial verdicts through public pressure.

Sanjayan recalled an earlier incident in Kerala when a radical Islamist group marched to the High Court against a court verdict.

He said the country had established legal mechanisms to resolve personal and social disputes, and attempts to bypass these mechanisms through mass mobilisation were undesirable.

He said some groups appeared to believe that they could impose their demands by gathering large crowds and putting pressure on those in authority.

The BVK director also expressed concern over the reported plan by opposition parties to mobilise 10 lakh people in Delhi on November 1.

He said Delhi, with an estimated population of around two crore, could face serious law-and-order challenges if such a large number of people, including those arriving from outside the capital, gathered there.

Such a mobilisation could disrupt the normal lives of residents, he added.

Sanjayan said India's freedom and democracy were the result of the sacrifices and dedication of generations of patriots and should not be undermined.

He urged the Centre to take a firm stand to prevent a recurrence of violence of the kind witnessed during a march to Parliament on July 20.

He also called for respect for the country's democratic institutions and established legal processes, arguing that public demands should not be pursued by putting pressure on constitutional authorities.

The BVK's criticism comes amid political debate over the SIR exercise and the opposition's approach to challenging issues before constitutional institutions.

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