Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday made harsh jibes at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for keeping silent over rampant violence in the country. He said that the situation in the country is tense, and PM Modi should address the country and condemn violent clashes, and advocate the need for unity and togetherness. Gehlot was speaking at the 18th All India Conference of State Legal Services Authorities organized by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in Jaipur.
Talking about the collapse of the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra, Gehlot insisted that such incidents undermine the democracy in the country. He said, “State governments are being overthrown – Goa, Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. Is there democracy in the country?”
Furthermore, Gehlot also questioned PM Modi’s silence regarding recent clashes and communal violence in different states. He said that the situation in the state was tense and really constricting, and so PM Modi should address the country and make his stand against violence clear. “There is an environment of tension and violence in the country. Democracy rests on tolerance. People listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that is why people vote for him. Shouldn’t the Prime Minister address the nation and say that unity and brotherhood have to be maintained? He has to say ‘I will not accept violence at any cost’.”