Modi is butchering democracy: A K Antony

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress Working Committee member  A. K. Antony has called upon all  secular forces to join hands to  throw out   Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “who is butchering democracy.”   “The Congress-JD (S) alliance in Karnataka is the beginning of the Congress mission to  oust Narendra Modi from power,” Mr Antony said while inaugurating the 27th death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Indira Bhavan here on Monday.

“Modi has been  spreading unrest across the country to form BJP governments in various states. It was as per his  instruction that the Karnataka Governor invited the BJP to form the government, though it lacked  majority,” said Mr Antony.     Six union ministers, including Piyush Goyal, tried to promote  horse-trading in Karnataka, he  added.

Paying  glowing tributes to Rajiv Gandhi,  he  said  Rajiv  had  inherited the traits of his  mother Indira Gandhi who had refused to remove her  Sikh guards to protect secularism and plurality.   He had also sacrificed the interests of Congress party  in the troubled states of Assam, Punjab, and Mizoram to bring back peace in those states, he said. “Rajiv Gandhi’s unexpected death was a huge loss to the country. Had he been alive, India would  have been number one or two in the list of developed countries.  He  worked miracles in the fields of science and information technology,”  added Mr Antony.