Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday charged the Congress with building pressure on the judiciary and urged the people to remain wary of such a party.
Modi alleged that the grand old party which has ruled the country for the longest period of time has tried to "influence" the judiciary.
Addressing a gathering in the pilgrim town of Prayagraj, the new name of Allahabad, ahead of the Kumbh Mela beginning Jaunary 15, the Prime Minister said, "Beware of parties pretending to stand for democracy."
Modi charged that the Congress party has tried to weaken "each and every" democratic institution that has refused to toe its line including the judiciary and the judicial system.
"The party which had ruled the country for the longest period of time had always considered itself above the law, the judiciary, and even above the country. Every institution of the country that had refused to toe its line, or work as per its orders or bow before it has been destroyed," the Prime Minister alleged.
Modi added that it is because of this "attitude" that efforts were made to "weaken" the judicial system. "There is only one reason. The judiciary was among those institutions which stood against the corrupt and anarchic antics of the party," Modi said.
The Prime Minister charged, "The attitude of the Congress has been to compel the constitutional institutions of the country to stand in front of them hands tied. If anyone does not budge, then attempts are made to break him. This is their feudal thinking."
The Prime Minister also referred to the 'impeachment notice' submitted by the Congress and six other opposition parties against then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in April and said "threatening the judges is a part of their old thought process."
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu had rejected the 'impeachment notice' in which the Opposition parties had accused the then CJI of five counts of "misbehaviour" and "misusing" authority.
"It has been proved that they consider themselves above the country, democracy, judiciary and even the people. A couple of days ago, we have seen an example," Modi said, in an apparent reference to the Supreme Court dismissing a batch of petitions seeking a probe into the Rafale deal.
Despite the verdict, the Congress has insisted on its demand for a joint parliamentary probe into the multi-billion dollar fighter jet deal.
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