New Delhi, 26 February (H.S.): Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has slammed the Centre's approach, asserting that questioning authority and voicing opinions are fundamental citizen rights in a democracy, amid protests against Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib's arrest.

In an X post, Gandhi stated democracy thrives when governments heed criticism and respond. India is a democratic nation where asking questions is integral to democracy; voicing one's views is every citizen's right. The government's duty is to listen and reply, he emphasized.

Gandhi decried the criminalization of peaceful protests, noting youth, women athletes, farmers, and others face action for raising issues, with dissent equated to anti-nationalism. He highlighted instances where marginalized groups—youth, athletes, farmers, tribals—peacefully advocated for rights, only to encounter repression instead of dialogue.

This comes as Delhi Police arrested several Youth Congress workers, including Chib, following their semi-nude protest at the AI Summit (February 16-21) at Bharat Mandapam.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar