Thiruvananthapuram: BJP Kerala President and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said democracy and mobocracy were incompatible, asserting that governments could be changed only through peaceful voting and not through violence, chaos or street protests.
Reacting to the BJP’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Mobocracy’ campaign, Chandrasekhar said voters had the right to decide who would become the Prime Minister, Chief Minister or form the government.
“Democracy and mobocracy are incompatible. You cannot have a democracy where governments are changed through anything other than a peaceful vote. Voters decide who the Prime Minister is, who forms the government and who is the Chief Minister. That is what democracy is,” he told IANS.
“You cannot have violent mobs, anarchists, chaos or criminals coming out onto the streets to decide who will be the leader of a country or state. Mobocracy and democracy are incompatible. Violence, chaos and democracy are incompatible,” he added.
Chandrasekhar said the only way to change a government or an elected representative was through peaceful voting.
“The only way a government or a voters’ representative can be changed is through a peaceful method of voting. That is what democracy is, and that is what India is,” he said.
The remarks came as the BJP on Thursday launched a 15-day nationwide campaign titled ‘Loktantra Bachao, Bheedtantra Hatao’ (Save Democracy, Remove Mobocracy), which will continue until November 5.
According to senior party leaders, the campaign will feature rallies, press conferences, interactions with young people and students, and outreach programmes involving civil society groups.
The BJP aims to defend its position on electoral processes and counter the Opposition’s allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as well as its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Reacting to the INDIA bloc’s virtual meeting, Chandrasekhar took a swipe at the Opposition, alleging that the campaign’s prominent face had left the country for another holiday.
“Obviously, they have to have a virtual meeting because the so-called icon of this fake, anarchic and chaotic campaign has left India and gone off on yet another holiday. The internet is helping them conduct virtual campaigns. Let them have more virtual campaigns,” he said.
He further alleged that the Congress was deliberately creating chaos and anarchy with the support of the CPI(M).
“However, the people of India are determined to expose this type of chaos and anarchy that is being deliberately unleashed by the Congress Party, with the help of the CPI(M), upon the people of India. The people have decided that they will not permit or allow it,” Chandrasekhar added.
(IANS)
