Removing fear of protesting is CJP’s key achievement: Prashant Bhushan

“Protests have been restricted to only one place in Delhi… there too you have to first seek permission several weeks in advance and permission is given for a very short time. That makes a mockery, in complete violation of the fundamental right to protest,” he said.

Bhushan also suggested that the central government was pressuring the media to fall in line using inducements like public advertisements and means such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and income tax raids.

He said, “It is because of this social media that we saw this rise of youth power… We saw this Cockroach Janata Party protest which then spread across the country.”

Money power and ‘first-past-the-post’ system

Bhushan also argued that money power has become dominant in determining electoral outcomes under the “first-past-the-post” system, which he suggested helps even parties with a small vote share win polls.

“The Opposition may have 49 per cent of the seats but nothing in the running of the government… voters don’t want to waste their vote on a candidate who they feel has no chance of winning. This assessment is made on the basis of visibility, and visibility is a function largely of money,” he explained.

Bhushan also criticised the Election Commission of India, including over alleged irregularities in the recent elections in West Bengal. He also talked about the “washing machine” phenomenon of politicians who face legal proceedings “coming clean” after joining the BJP.