Presidential poll bigger battle of ideologies: Sinha

The Opposition presidential candidate said, “This presidential election is being fought under extraordinary circumstances. There is an undeclared emergency and the manner in which journalists are being attacked and suppressed."

The meeting was attended by top Congress leaders including state chief Jagdish Thakor, Opposition leader Sukhram Rathva, former state president Amit Chavda and new working president Jignesh Mevani, among others. (PTI)

Written by: Vaibhav Jha

3 min readGandhinagarJul 9, 2022 01:17 AM IST First published on: Jul 9, 2022 at 01:17 AM IST

United opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha Friday said the upcoming Presidential election between him and NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu was a bigger battle of ideologies and a quest for him to “save the Constitution.”

“This presidential election is being fought under extraordinary circumstances. There is an undeclared emergency and the manner in which journalists are being attacked and suppressed, it is evident that freedom of speech granted in the (Indian) Constitution is being finished,” said Sinha in Gandhinagar. He was in the state capital to seek support from Congress legislators of Gujarat ahead of the presidential elections at a meeting held in the Assembly Friday. Accompanying him was Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former BJP member and columnist.

“Today, the society is being divided on communal lines and it is our duty to not allow it because if that happens then everything will be destroyed. The constitution that is secular and has given freedom and opportunity to everyone…it is in danger today, it is being finished slowly. All democratic institutions, including the media, are being suppressed,” Sinha said.

“This presidential election isn’t any more about any post but a bigger issue about the winner applying their basic rights to save the constitution. I am not at all advocating that there should be friction between the President and the Prime Minister but if a rubber stamp becomes the President, they won’t be able to save India’s constitution,” said Sinha.

Earlier in the day, Sinha and Congress MLAs held a meeting that was attended by top party leaders from the state, including Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Jagdish Thakor, Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathva, former PCC president Amit Chavda, and newly appointed Gujarat Congress working president Jignesh Mevani, among others.

Sinha thanked the Congress MLAs for attending the event and showing “cooperation” and added in a snide remark that he hopes “they will be offering the same cooperation on voting day as well.” Sinha immediately clarified stating he knows “how much pressure these people work in.” Thakor announced that his party MLAs will support Sinha in the presidential polls.

Making a veiled attack on Murmu, who belongs to the tribal community, Sinha said, “It doesn’t matter what religion and caste I come from and what she comes from. This is a fight between two opposing ideologies. She was the Governor of Jharkhand for six years, I also come from Jharkhand. Her community did not benefit at all after her elevation to the governor’s post.”

Sinha said Gujarat is facing an “undeclared state of emergency”. “I am surprised to know that for so many years Section 144 has been imposed in Gujarat. What is happening in Gujarat? What dangers does this state face? Even for social programmes, one needs to take permission,” said Sinha.