We are living in constant fear of State: Kapil Sibal
New Delhi, Sep 23: Former Congress leader and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal on Friday made veiled attack at the Centre, alleging people have been living in the fear of investigating agencies, the State and the police.
Talking about the "use of religion as a weapon", the Rajya Sabha MP said that even though it was happening all over the world, "India is an excessive example of the use of religion".
"It's happening all over the world. It was complete intolerance what happened in Leicester yesterday. We all know what happened there. So it's being exported now. The real problem is, in India today those who are part of the hate speech are the collaborators of a particular ideology, the police are not willing to do anything," Sibal said.
The former Cabinet minister was speaking at the launch of his book, "Reflections: In Rhyme and Rhythm", published by Rupa Publications.
He added that those who give hate speeches are not prosecuted and hence, are "emboldened to give another speech of the nature".
"Whole populations are afraid and they get mentally ghettoised. What do they do? So they are afraid. We are living in constant fear. We fear the ED, we fear the CBI, we fear the State, we fear the policemen, we fear everybody. We don't have any trust in anybody anymore," the politician-turned-poet said.
The 74-year-old senior advocate also criticised the judiciary, alleging the poor man cannot come to the court as he has "no money to pay the lawyers".
"It is the fight between two corporate world in the court every day. Amazon vs Reliance, this vs that. And the poor man, he cannot come to the court. He doesn't have the money to pay for lawyers. A guy from Kerala, from the Northeast, West Bengal, in the south, how is he going to come to the Supreme Court. He just doesn't have the means," he rued.
He added that people's confidence in the justice system is waning.
"Then there is the issue of fairness. What is fair? Fair is when you have great confidence that you will get justice. Lot of us believe that confidence is waning and the general public, people of India think. People who interact with me on a daily basis, will we get justice? I cannot assure them... there is no way to help. Because the system doesn't help them," Sibal said.
The book launch was also attended by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.
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Hundreds of TVK supporters return disappointed from cancelled swearing in ceremony venue
Chennai (PTI): Hundreds of TVK supporters, fuelled by the hope of seeing their leader Vijay as chief minister, gathered at Nehru Indoor Stadium in the city on Thursday, only to be met with locked gates and a lack of information regarding the scheduled proceedings.
Many supporters, travelling from various parts of the state, near and far, like Arumbakkam and Coimbatore, expressed deep disappointment and confusion upon finding the premises closed and without official communication.
Speaking to PTI Videos, fans and party loyalists described a sense of heartbreak after arriving early to secure a place in line.
Charulatha, a supporter, noted the emotional toll of the situation: "We came with so much joy thinking he would become the chief minister today, but there is nothing here. The gates are closed. It is very painful."
Sai Deepika, her daughter and a student set to enter the 12th grade, shared her excitement for the event: "I was very excited to be here. I have been telling everyone he will win and do good things for the people."
A visibly distressed Gunasundari, a long-time political observer from a family of AIADMK supporters, stated she shifted her loyalty to Vijay: "I publicly say I voted for Vijay. I have a belief that he will help those in need. Seeing the gates closed like this is a shock."
Despite the confusion on the ground, the gathered crowd remained steadfast in their political choice. Several supporters highlighted Vijay’s decision to fund party activities independently as a key reason for their trust.
"He didn't take a single rupee from the people for his flag or the stage. He did it all himself," said an emotional Gunasundari. "Even if they try to shame him or create obstacles, he is the one who will eventually win."
Many attendees cited news reports and social media claims as their reason for arriving early on Thursday morning. Some supporters mentioned they had travelled via public transport and waited for hours under the impression that an official declaration or event was imminent.
"My son told me that declarations were made yesterday and everyone was coming today," Gunasundari added. "I didn't even tell him I was leaving; I just started my journey to see him in person for the first time".
