Voter List Row, SIR Issue: Nadvi Slams Govt Over Constitution
New Delhi, October 24: Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi has said the country is living through a phase of deep anxiety and has backed the opposition's decision to hit the streets. He argued that the Constitution gives opposition parties a clear role to correct the ruling party when it ignores constitutional values out of arrogance.
In his remarks, Nadvi said the opposition must raise the voices and emotions of the people before those in power, so that the government admits its errors and withdraws from wrong decisions. He described this as the lawful and constitutional way of functioning in a democracy.
Nadvi said that Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi are the two main faces of the opposition at present. He noted that both are Leaders of the Opposition, and that the Samajwadi Party has the second-largest majority within the LoP framework after the largest party. He recalled that during the vote on the Waqf Amendment Bill, parties that stood together to protect the Constitution and democracy became known as the INDIA bloc.
He said opposition parties are still holding meetings and share a common objective: to stop the ruling party from continuing its mistakes. Nadvi argued that unrest among citizens was inevitable after crores of votes were removed. He cited a Delhi report alleging that ten living people were declared dead.
The SP MP criticised the court for suggesting that errors could be corrected next time. He asked what would become of a government formed under such conditions. He pointed to Lakhimpur Kheri, where he said 10,000 votes were found and the BJP won by 6,000, and asked whether a discrepancy of that size was not wrong.
Nadvi said unlawfully taking someone's land, position or rights and then promising improvement later is not logic. He called it a 'might is right' approach, adding that a wrong done remains wrong.
He praised the young people gathered at Jantar Mantar, saying they gave a clear vision of India, and urged the country to learn from them. He said the nation remained divided between Hindus and Muslims and questioned the country's preparedness against China, referring to comments by ITBP Director Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor that India trails China in weapons. He noted that China had invaded India twice, yet India had not regarded it as a serious rival.
Nadvi said national energy had been spent on Hindu-Muslim issues and Kashmir, weakening military capacity. He asked why India compared itself with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan rather than global powers. He said the country needed modern arms and a merit-based system, and alleged that corruption had spread so far that paper leaks were helping certain people gain admission.
He recalled raising Kashmir with former Home Minister P Chidambaram, urging equal freedoms for Kashmiris and healing of their wounds. He questioned whether Kashmiri students could study freely in national universities and whether Kashmiri people could sell goods without restriction.
Nadvi ended by saying Kashmiris should be embraced as Indians, citing Adil Shah, who sacrificed his life to save fellow citizens, and Kashmiri soldiers in the Kargil war. He called for an end to Hindu-Muslim poison and to discrimination based on colour or race. He added that any weak, poor or illiterate person, including a Brahmin, should receive equal dignity and opportunities, and that if the law lacks such a provision, it should be created.