Bhubaneswar: Joining the nationwide protest against the suspension of a large number of opposition MPs, the Odisha leaders of the INDIA group took out a rally here Friday.
Senior opposition leaders, including state Congress chief Sarat Pattanayak, former party presidents Prasad Harichandan and Jaydev Jena, CPI’s Ramakrushna Panda, SP state president Rabi Behera, and others participated in the rally.
Holding banners with anti-Narendra Modi government slogans written on them, the protestors walked from Master Canteen Square towards the state Assembly.
They also raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Pattanayak said all the leaders of INDIA constituents have come together as democracy is under threat under the BJP government.
“Our Constitution is the soul of Indian democracy. If the Modi government suspends all opposition MPs, there will be no democracy in the Parliament. It is like murder of Indian democracy,” he said.
Altogether 146 opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during the just concluded Winter Session for demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah in the House on the December 13 Parliament security breach issue.
The central government has suppressed the voice of opposition MPs, who were elected by lakhs of people in the country, the Congress leader said.
“We appeal to the people of our country and Odisha to remove the dictator Modi government in the upcoming election,” he said.
The suspension of 146 opposition MPs in Parliament is an attack on Indian democracy, said Panda.
The CPI leader asked, “By removing 146 MPs from the Parliament, the government has not only suppressed the voice of opposition, but also made a murderous attack on democracy,” said SP Odisha president Rabi Behera.
PTI