People’s vote and voice cannot be taken away easily: Prabir Purkayastha

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, centre, CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan, (left), and NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha during a seminar on 'Political persecution by central agencies', in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday | Photo Credit: PTI

The people’s sense of their vote, their voice, and democracy is not something that can be taken away from them easily, journalist and activist Prabir Purkayastha has said.

He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Political persecution by Central agencies’ that was organised by the AKG Centre for Research and Studies here on Wednesday.

Mr. Purkayastha said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre, which was using government agencies to further its objectives, was increasingly becoming alienated from the people. The people, from their struggles against the British as part of the national movement and even after Independence, had understood the value of their rights, including the right to vote. These were not something they would give up without a struggle, even though it could take time.