"This election giving us a chance to help protect our democracy...": Shashi Tharoor

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 3 (ANI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday filed his nomination from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala and said that this election will decide India's future.
Speaking to the media after filing his nomination, Tharoor said that it has become a lengthy process (to file nominations), with more number of forms and documents. Well, the submission was successful.
"I have been campaigning for the last three weeks and it will continue. But as you all know its not just any ordinary election, this will decide India's future. This election is giving us a chance to help protect our democracy and also India's diversity," he said.
Further, the Congress leader said that this election has provided the voters a chance to save India's democracy alleging that the Central government is taking decision which are "fascist and against the democracy".
"Now what we are seeing, the present government is taking decisions which are fascist, unconstitutional and against the system of democracy. So they shouldn't be given another chance to repeat such things. So we should understand that this election is a protest to save the soul of our nation. So we are in this fight to save our democracy. The candidates of the Congress party as well as the INDIA bloc are in the fray, determined to win this election," Tharoor added.
He also emphasized that the current situation in the Thiruvananthapuram is favourable to him, like it was in 2014 and 2019 General Elections.
"I have full confidence and after electioneering for the past three weeks, my confidence has doubled. It could seem like a triangular fight but the ground situation is favourable like it was in 2014 or more like the 2019 general elections. We have no doubt on our win now it's about who will come in second. We are clearly fighting the BJP here," the Congress leader said.
Notably, BJP has fielded Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar from this seat against Shashi Tharoor.
Further, speaking on the Supreme Court on Supreme Court's verdict on Income Tax department freezing accounts of the Congress, Tharoor said that they have assured to not take any action till July. So after July we can expect action on our remaining funds. But they have already confiscated some of our funds.
"Also, some new tax notices have come. Yesterday, they have given a tax-related notice dating back to 1994-95. So this thing called tax terrorism is not right. At a time when the elections are declared and the contesting parties cannot utilise their funds which are in the public domain, doesn't look good for a democratic setup. Also, major opposition leaders are being jailed. Yesterday, one of the leaders was released after being jailed for over six months. Kejriwal is in jail. He is a national convenor of a national party," he said.
"This shows they are in a position of fear. BJP has realised that they will face defeats at the national level so they are indulged in these actions. But we appeal to the people to come and give their mandates. That's all I have to say at this point after filing my nomination. Please come out and vote and get back your nation into your hands," he added. (ANI)