India, July 20 -- A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit on Sunday said the move amounted to "rape and murder" of democracy. "MPs who got elected on the burning torch symbol (of Shiv Sena (UBT)) were bought. This is rape and murder of democracy and this is a serious offence. These people are serial killers and rapists," Raut said without naming anyone. The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution states that a split or merger is not allowed, then how did the Speaker allow it, Raut questioned.
Talking to reporters, Raut also slammed the Centre for shifting activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital on Saturday. Wangchuk was taken forcibly to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police on the 21st day of his hunger strike. He has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy. Raut said all types of protests are allowed in democracy. "Mahatma Gandhi had chosen the path of indefinite hunger strike and forced British to start negotiations. But Wangchuk does a fast and the government does not hold any discussion but drags him from the protest site. They did not even get stretcher (to take Wangchuk to the the hospital). They pressured him to break his fast and this should be condemned," he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.