Wholesale attack on democratic system in India: Rahul at Colombia university
New Delhi (PTI): Claiming that there is a "wholesale attack on the democratic system" in India currently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said allowing different traditions to thrive is important for the country, as "we cannot do what China does, which is to suppress people and run an authoritarian system".
Speaking at the EIA University in Medellin, Colombia, Gandhi said India has a much more complex system as compared with China and India's strengths are very different from that of the neighbouring country.
India also has a very old spiritual tradition and a thought system with profound ideas that are useful in today's world, he said, adding that there is a lot that the country can offer in terms of tradition and the way of thinking.
"I am very optimistic about India, but at the same time, there are fault lines within the Indian structure, there are risks that India has to overcome. The single-biggest risk is the attack on democracy that is taking place in India," the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
"India has multiple religions, traditions and languages. India is actually a conversation between all its people. Different ideas, religions and traditions require space. The best method for creating that space is the democratic system," he said.
"Currently, there is a wholesale attack on the democratic system in India, so that is a risk. The other big risk is different conceptions -- different religions, different languages. Allowing these different traditions to thrive, giving them space to express themselves is very important for a country like India. We cannot do what China does, which is to suppress people and run an authoritarian system," Gandhi said.
"Our design will just not accept that," he asserted.
During his visit to the South American country, Gandhi also met Colombian President Senate Lidio Gracia. The Congress leader is on a four-nation tour of South America.
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ED searches: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses Centre of targeting Cong leaders
Chamarajanagara (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the central government and its agencies of consistently targeting Congress members by using searches on their properties, and questioned why similar action is not taken against BJP leaders.
He was reacting to searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday on several individuals, among them the sons of Karnataka Congress MLA N A Haris and the grandson of former Union Cabinet minister K Rahman Khan, in connection with a cryptocurrency-linked money laundering case.
"The central government always targets Congress leaders. Will they raid the houses of BJP leaders?" Siddaramaiah said in response to a question. More than a dozen premises in the city were searched as part of the operation carried out by the ED under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The premises searched comprised those of Mohammed Haris Nalapad and Omar Farook Nalapad, the sons of the MLA; Aqeeb Khan, the grandson of veteran Congress leader K Rahman Khan; and an alleged crypto hacker, Srikrishna Ramesh, alias Sriki, officials said.
The money laundering case stems from Karnataka Police FIRs and charge sheets filed in a 2017 case involving the hacking of national and international websites, theft of bitcoins, and the sale of these stolen virtual digital assets (VDAs) through crypto platforms by the alleged hacker Sriki and his associates.
Mohammed Haris Nalapad, Omar Farook Nalapad, and Aqeeb Khan are alleged to be beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime generated through this crypto-linked activity, officials added.
