Senior Congress leader P Chidamabaram on Saturday said all pillars of society, including political parties, are gripped with fear in the country and secularism and the idea of India has been severely damaged in the past few years.
Speaking at 'Sahitya AajTak 2022', the former Union Finance Minister said that in the last couple of years "the idea of India has been undermined" and the idea of secularism has been distorted, being reduced to "embracing one religion".
"People have become concerned and begun to reflect on what is happening to India but there is pervasive fear in the country. There is pervasive fear because the pillars of society are gripped with fear," Chidambaram said according to a press release issued by the TV channel.
"So many people are crossing from one party to another because they are gripped with fear that if they won’t fall in line, they and their family will be harassed," the senior Congress leader alleged.
Talking about the previous UPA government, Chidambaram said, "We have not done anything which damaged India as such. We have made mistakes which have harmed the economy in India, harmed the education in India, harmed the sport in India. Those are failures of governance. But we have not done anything to cause damage to India."
"A lot is happening in India , but I think not a lot of reflection is being done on what is happening to India. What is happening in India is commonplace, but what is happening to India is far more serious and far more worrisome.
"Forces that are undermining the idea of India have been at work in the last 2-2.5 years," the former minister said.
He said the idea of India is enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution and it is a country where justice - social, economic, and political - informs all walks of national life.
"Many of the ideas (enshrined in the Preamble) have been undermined, some very, very badly damaged, not yet beyond repair, in the last few years.
"For example, secularism has been badly damaged. We have distorted and twisted secularism and secularism today means you have to embrace one particular religion if you want to enjoy all your rights in this country," said the Congress leader.
-With PTI Input
