RSS, Jana Sangh were not foremost fighters of Emergency: CPI-M
New Delhi, June 28 : The BJP seeks to project the RSS and the Jana Sangh as the foremost fighters against Emergency but this amounts to economising with the truth, the CPI-M has said.
"While it is true that a large number of RSS leaders and workers were put in jail (during Emergency), it is also a fact that a number of them tendered apologies and declared support for the 20-point programme of the Indira government to facilitate their release," said an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy".
"They did so, probably taking the cue from the RSS sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras who (from) jail wrote two letters to Indira Gandhi offering to cooperate with the government and declaring support for the `constructive programmes' of the government." it said.
"Thus, the doughty fighters against the Emergency were shown to be craven and vacillating in the face of State repression."
The editorial follows the 43rd anniversary of the 1975-77 Emergency rule when thousands of political activists of all hues were jailed and fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution were suspended.
The CPI-M editorial said that the occasion "became, as usual, an occasion for the BJP leadership to put out its own distorted and boastful version of this eventful period in post-independent India".
It said that the four years of Modi government had witnessed an "'undeclared Emergency' which is nothing but the institutionalisation of an authoritarian regime.
"When the BJP talks about the Emergency era of four decades ago, it blithely sidesteps the fact that a far worse authoritarian regime has been put in place marked by a systematic encroachment of civil liberties and democratic rights; subversion of the institutions under the Constitution; State-aided vigilantism and lynch mobs; and intimidation of the media and suppression of dissent."
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Actor Rahul's death: Film body demands fair probe, files police complaint
Kolkata (PTI): Amidst the controversy over the accidental death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee during an outdoor shoot near Digha in Purba Medinipur district, the West Bengal Motion Picture Artists' Forum on Saturday lodged a police complaint against the producers in connection with the incident.
Senior forum members, including actors Prosenjit Chatterjee and Santilal Mukherjee, told a press meet outside Regent Park police station that the complaint called for a fair and transparent probe into the tragedy.
"We want the real truth and exact circumstances behind the incident to come to light," a forum member said. Actor Rituparna Sengupta was also present at the briefing.
Banerjee's wife, Priyanka Sarkar, was also present but did not speak to the media.
"On March 29, during the shooting of television serial 'Bholey Baba Par Karega' at Talsari near Digha, our colleague and forum member, actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, tragically passed away due to an accidental drowning," the forum said in a statement on Friday night.
"In this regard, the forum, on behalf of its members, sought legal advice to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. Accordingly, a formal letter was sent to the production house.... on April 1 seeking clarification," the statement said.
"However, the response received on April 2 was found to be unsatisfactory and inadequate. Since then, various opinions and concerns have also been expressed on social media regarding the incident," the forum said.
Mukherjee said in light of this, and after further legal consultation, the forum has decided to initiate legal proceedings.
Chatterjee said the forum would consult lawyers to decide the next course of action.
Meanwhile, several members of the Bengali film industry held a procession from Technicians' Studio to Radha Studio, a distance of around 1 km, carrying placards reading 'Justice for Rahul'.
The rally was led by several known faces of the industry, including actor-director Aparna Sen, Anjan Dutt, director Srijit Mukherjee, Kaushik Ganguly, actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee, actor Rudranil Ghosh, actor Riddhi Sen, actor-theatre personality Kaushik Sen, among others.
The rally was supported by technician federation director Swarup Biswas.
Earlier, the makers of 'Bholey Baba Par Karega' had expressed grief over Banerjee’s death and assured that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be examined transparently.
"The entire cast and crew are in profound mourning. We request a few days to gather accounts of those present so that a comprehensive and accurate report can be presented," the producers had said, adding that a representative nominated by the actor’s family or the forum could observe the process.
Police officials said according to eyewitness accounts, Banerjee and a co-actor were filming a dance sequence in knee-deep water when they slipped into an underwater ditch. Both were taken to a hospital in Digha, but Banerjee could not be saved.
Banerjee rose to fame with the 2008 Bengali film 'Chirodini Tumi Je Amar', directed by Raj Chakraborty, which starred him opposite Priyanka Sarkar and became a major hit.
Rahul, who had started his career in early 2000, acted in several critically acclaimed Bengali films and TV soaps after the blockbuster success of Chirodini in 2008 and also started hosting a podcast which gained popularity.
