Opposition’s Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha, on Tuesday, said democracy is in grave danger in the country as the ruling dispensation’s agenda of ‘one ruler, one party’ is meant to convert democratic India into an imitator of Communist China.

Sinha, who was in Chandigarh as part of his visits to various state capitals for the Presidential poll campaign, said the election for the 15th President is taking place under highly troubled conditions. “Never before, not even during the Emergency in the mid-1970s, did our Republic face as many simultaneous threats to the Constitution. The economy is badly mismanaged, creating unprecedented price rise and unemployment. Our democracy is in grave danger,” he said.

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Sinha said every institution of democratic governance is being subverted by the ruling party and its government. “Agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, Income Tax department and even the Governor’s office are being weaponised to target Opposition leaders, to engineer defections in Opposition parties and to topple Opposition-run state governments. To win elections, the ruling party has embarked on an evil design to communally polarise India’s multi-faith society. This will have perilous consequences not only for social peace, but also for the nation’s unity and integrity,” he said adding “this must be stopped”

Sinha said ever since he filed his nomination on 27 June, he has been highlighting these imminent threats to democracy and Constitution in India but the candidate of the ruling party, Draupadi Murmu, has so far not addressed a single Press conference. “Perhaps she wants to follow the example of the Prime Minister, who has not addressed a single Press conference in the last eight years. I have great personal regard for Draupadi Murmu. However, I have repeatedly stressed that this election is not about identities, it is about ideologies. it is about commitments to the Constitution,” he added.

Appealing to all members of the Electoral College for support, Sinha asked if India should have a silent or rubber-stamp President.

“I have pledged that I will be answerable to the Constitution, and to the Constitution alone. I will use my powers, without fear or favour, to restrain the government if it deviates from the principles of the Constitution. In particular, I will immediately stop the government from misusing the ED, CBI, IT department and other agencies and institutions against the Opposition. I will also not hesitate to restrain the Opposition if they violate the values and norms of the Constitution,” he added.