RAIPUR: Opposition candidate for presidential election Yashwant Sinha on Friday said the country does not need a “silent” President at a time when attempts are being made to divide the society on communal lines. Speaking at a press conference here, the former Union minister also referred to the political turmoil in Maharashtra, saying the “hungry for power” was alarming. The presidential election was a fight against an ideology that is “taking the country down,” he said.
“The office of the President is an honorable office. According to the Constitution, the President has certain duties, which must be performed. We have seen in history that some Presidents have respected the office while some remained silent and were not much successful in discharging their responsibilities,” he said.
He further said that there is “unrest all around” in the country, and that the root cause is an ideology “which seeks to divide the society on communal lines.”
“I believe that today we do not need a silent President who is elected to office but does not discharge constitutional obligations. The President has the right to make suggestions to the government, but only if he is the Prime Minister. He is a puppet of his hands, so he will not do it,” he insisted.
He said that the central government does not believe in the politics of integration but is doing the politics of confrontation.
“The hunger for power is very dangerous. You saw what happened in Maharashtra (where the BJP formed the government with the rebels of Shiv Sena). Does it increase the importance of our democracy,” he said.
Sinha It also said that it is a matter of great concern that central investigative agencies are being misused to target political opponents.
Sinha, who was a minister in the Vajpayee government, said that when he was part of the government, he never thought of using investigative agencies against political opponents. “Today the ‘nanga naach’ (shameless spectacle) of misuse of such agencies is being witnessed,” he alleged.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was also present during the conversation. Sinha, a former BJP leader, is pitted against NDA-backed Draupadi Murmu in the elections to be held on July 18.