Raipur, Against the backdrop of political developments in Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today claimed the situation in the country was similar to that in Pakistan under “dictatorship”.

At an event here, he alleged there was an atmosphere of fear in the country and the Constitution was under “severe attack”, with even the institutions such as the judiciary and the press being suppressed and threatened.

His remarks came hours after BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa was sworn-in as the chief minister of Karnataka.

While the Congress-JD(S) combine in the state has been claiming a majority with the support of 117 MLAs, the BJP has 104 seats in the Assembly which has 224 elected members. Polling was not held in two seats. The House has a nominated seat.

“The Constitution is under severe attack in the country… In Karnataka, the MLAs are on one side and the Governor on the other and you know what attempt is being made,” Gandhi said.

“The JD(S) leader has said its MLAs were offered Rs 100 crore,” the Congress president said, apparently referring to H D Kumaraswami who had made the allegation.

Gandhi said, “One after another, you can see in every democratic institution in the country,..the RSS is trying to induct its people.”

He said, “There is fear in the judiciary, there is fear in the press, and even the BJP’s members of Parliament are scared as they cannot speak a single word before the prime minister.”

In the last 70 years, it was generally seen that the people approached the judiciary for seeking justice, he said.

“But for the first time it was seen that four judges of the Supreme Court appeared before the press and sought support from the public, saying they were being suppressed and not allowed to perform their duties.

“Such a thing was witnessed for the first time in a democratic country. It definitely happens under dictatorships, it happens in Pakistan, it happens in different African countries, (where) a general comes and suppresses the court and the press. But in India, it has happened for the first time in last 70 years,” Gandhi said.

He was apparently referring to the unprecedented press conference by four senior judges of the Supreme Court in January this year to express their grievances against the Chief Justice of India.

In his address at a ‘Jan Swaraj Sammelan’ here on the occasion of the silver jubilee of 73rd and 74th amendment in the Constitution related to local self-governance, the Congress leader accused the BJP and the RSS of capturing every democratic institution in country.

He said the Congress had ruled the country for several years but never tried to capture the democratic institutions.

Gandhi also alleged that the RSS and the BJP’s target was to suppress the voice of Dalits, ‘adivasis’ (tribals) and women and distribute the country’s wealth to some selected people.