BJP throttling democracy: Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who was here on Wednesday to protest against the Enforcement Directorates's summons and questioning of Rahul Gandhi, said the BJP was throttling democracy.

"What kind of democracy is this? Where workers cannot go to their party office and the leader cannot meet his workers. The whole country is witnessing the prevailing situation, this type of situation never occurred before," he said.

Baghel said that in the last eight years only one person -- Rahul Gandhi -- has been exposing the flaws of the Central government. "It is only Rahul Gandhi who has opposed every wrong decision and policies of the Centre, including demonetisation, GST and lockdown and has raised his voice against inflation, unemployment and security in the country."

He said that the BJP's nationalism was imported nationalism which worked on the principle of crushing those who raise voice against it.

"The BJP thinks that by suppressing Rahul Gandhi's voice, no one will be able to speak against them. The Central government is misusing the central agencies to suppress the opposition parties. BJP will have to pay for trying to harass Rahul Gandhi by implicating him in false cases," Baghel said.

He added, "The Congress has taken the step of giving loan to save the newspaper involved in the freedom struggle. The BJP is making failed attempts to malign the image of Rahul Gandhi by implicating him in false money laundering case."

He said the BJP will not succeed in its conspiracy to defame the Congress leadership.

The protests by Congress leaders against the Enforcement Directorate's summon to Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case entered the third day. Almost the whole of the national level and state leadership of the party have been protesting.