New Delhi: Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi today slammed the "frenzy" to bring to India`s helm the reign of an "ethnic majority, sectarian bigotry and denominational autocracy" in the name of "strength".
He also criticised sections of media who have become "trumpeters" of what they see as the coming change, in remarks seen as a veiled attack on BJP and Narendra Modi.
"Let us realise that the doldrums feeling is true but is true only as a feeling. In actual fact, beneath the surface stillness, there is a great frenzy astir, a frenzy to bring to India`s helm, the reign of an ethnic majority, of a sectarian bigotry, of a denominational autocracy. And all in the name, the very specious name, of `strength`," Gandhi said delivering the 15th D P Kohli Memorial lecture organised to mark the year-long golden jubilee celebrations of the CBI.
"The ship of our nationhood, during these election days, is meant to be moving. But is it moving at all? No one quite knows, no one wants to speculate on where, towards what port, we are headed if we are headed anywhere at all," he said
He said "dictators have been wafted up by people voting democratically" and the painted ship will bestir itself into what "I would call Port au Pain".
"And here I must say that sections of the media have become trumpeters of what they see as the coming change. We had heard of paid news. But this is free advertising. The high noon of the free press in India makes its own eclipse-by-ink and through the small screen," Gandhi said, while delivering his speech on the topic `Eclipse at Noon: Shadows over India`s Conscience".
Gandhi, who is grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, warned that "this best of times for democracy can become the worst of times for democracy as well."
He said that money can buy anything and currency notes had found their way into the elections as well.
The money originates either legally, through licit company donations or come from a myriad sources which, necessarily and unavoidably, go back to our natural resources such as mines, forests and land.
