Prashanth Bhushan says SFI’s 'gundagiri' revealed through Sidharthan’s death

Kochi: Prashanth Bhushan, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer and activist, has stated that the killing of Sidharthan J S, a student at Pookode Veterinary College, is a major issue that highlights the 'gundagiri' involving SFI and CPM members in Kerala. He was speaking at the Ernakulam Press Club's 'Vote n Talk' session on Saturday, which was held ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

“It is unfortunate that the police do not act with the kind of alacrity with which they have to act. This is unfortunately a problem that I am witnessing in the state. The CPM and its cadres have been violating the rule of law, which is the same thing we are seeing at the Centre, where mobs are given free rein to do whatever they want to do. It is now being seen in Kerala how the cadres of the CPM and the SFI treat other people. This must be stopped,” he said, New Indian Express reported.

He added that such instances are occurring more frequently under the reign of the current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “It was not like this at the time of V S Achuthanandan,” he said.

Regarding the impending Lok Sabha election, Bhushan stated that Narendra Modi can only return to power if voting machines are tampered with, expressing worries about the state of democracy and citizens' fundamental rights.

“I do not doubt that these EVMs are capable of being manipulated, but probably they are. Otherwise, there is no possibility of the BJP even reaching the majority if there is a free and fair election,” he said. “But if it comes to power again, I think we can say goodbye to this republic. The 2024 Lok Sabha election will decide whether India remains a democracy or not,” he said.

Most Western countries have abandoned EVMs due to thorough judgements and reports indicating their unreliability, and have returned to the paper ballot mechanism. “What are they doing with this democratic country by misusing investigative agencies and triggering unemployment and poverty? People are given free rein to lynch people from minority communities on the streets and in states where the BJP is in power. The police are doing nothing about this,” he said.

Many key laws were recently enacted in Parliament without debate, including the Broadcast Bill and the Criminal Law Bill, and the majority of opposition MPs were suspended during their passage. The Election Commission has been transformed into a caged parrot for the government. “Even the judgment of the Supreme Court that election commissioners cannot be appointed by the government alone but must be appointed by a committee including the PM, leader of the opposition, and chief justice, has been surpassed by enacting a new law,” he said.