In a blistering exposition, Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) has accused the central government of transforming Manipur into a ‘model case’ for throttling democracy. Her remarks come amid the contentious elevation of a new chief minister, sidestepping the ballot box after months of strife.
Detailing the saga, Chaturvedi recounted the reluctance to oust the prior CM, the nocturnal President’s Rule declaration, parliamentary nod to revoke it, and the no-election leadership swap. ‘This isn’t governance; it’s a blueprint for silencing the Constitution and public sentiment,’ she charged, questioning why violence-scarred voters were denied renewal.
She pivoted to legislative lapses, bemoaning opposition gag. Traditions of opposition airtime followed by ruling retorts are eroding, she said, with roles like truth-telling and oversight fading. Gandhi’s parliamentary reading from a suppressed Galwan book by an ex-Army head exemplifies cover-ups, extending to magazine bans.
Chaturvedi rallied behind Banerjee’s SIR petition, framing it as resistance to Election Commission’s BJP tilt, mirroring Bihar and eyeing Bengal-Tamil Nadu. It’s a vital constitutional push for electoral integrity.
Dubbing the India-US trade ‘fiat over negotiation,’ she flagged asymmetries: Trump’s tweet-revealed zero US import duties vs. India’s 18% export levy, oil import shifts from sanctioned nations, LNG pacts, and rushed nuclear/space openings. Farmers face ruin from duty-free foreign produce, unlike the equitable EU agreement.
Chaturvedi’s narrative paints a nation at democracy’s crossroads, demanding vigilance against opaque power plays.