Jaipur, June 21 (IANS) Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday slammed the state government and police for arresting two Congress leaders for simply expressing dissent.

Condemning the police action, in which Congress leaders were detained, he said, “This is highly condemnable. Every elected representative and citizen has the constitutional right to protest and express dissent. Targeting opposition leaders with detentions and cases is a malicious misuse of power. This should not happen in a democratic setup.

He further stated that problems in a democracy should be resolved through dialogue, not through repression.

“The message being sent is that anyone who raises their voice against the government will face action. If the administration, police, and government use their power to silence dissent, it sets a dangerous precedent,” he said.

Earlier, Congress MLA Abhimanyu Poonia and Congress leader Nirmal Choudhary were detained by the Rajasthan Police.

Sachin Pilot said that each public representative has the right to stage a protest, as the Constitution in a democratic arrangement gives them due liberty to stage a protest to express dissent.

“I don’t feel that anybody might have flouted any norm voluntarily. Presenting his thoughts is the responsibility of each public representative. If police, government and administration target the opposition, the results will not be good,” he said.

Sachin Pilot further criticised the Rajasthan government for its delayed response in the case involving the suicide of a young doctor in Jaipur.

He said that the protest by the doctor’s family and colleagues was a legitimate demand for justice that should have been resolved much earlier.

“Though the matter has now been resolved and action has been taken to the satisfaction of the family, the delay caused unnecessary suffering. Youth and citizens endured extreme heat and rain while protesting for nearly a week. A timely and sensitive response could have prevented this situation,” he added.

Earlier, a doctor had committed suicide in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, accusing his senior of harassing him. His family members were staging in Jaipur outside SMS Hospital, demanding justice and compensation.

The protest was dissolved on Friday night after their demands were met.

–IANS

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