NEW DELHI: Amid murmurs that opposition’s pre-poll alliance is tottering on the brink, a clutch of INDIA bloc leaders rallied around Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday as he led protests against the “crippling of democracy” and attack on India’s federal structure by the Modi govt.
Vijayan’s protest, which came on the heels of a similar protest by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah a day earlier, saw Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann extend their support.Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin was represented by DMK leaders Tiruchi Siva and Palanivel Thiagarajan, aside from National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, CPM chief Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja, among others.
Siddaramaiah had alleged that the Union govt was unjust to Karnataka in devolution of taxes, giving the state less than its due. Vijayan went a step further, alleging that India’s federal structure was under attack both in financial terms and in the manner in which governors were “interfering” in opposition-governed states, a charge that has repeatedly been echoed by CMs of all non-BJP states.
Kejriwal accused the Centre of waging war against state govts led by opposition parties. “Govts led by opposition parties represent 70 crore people in the country. BJP has waged a war against these states. They have created an India-Pakistan situation with us. Centre is using all tactics to harass opposition govts. First, the central govt is not providing the rightful funds to states. Second, hampering everyday functioning through the interference of governor and lieutenant governor. Third, unleashing central probe agencies after opposition leaders to put them in jail,” he said. Mann alleged the Centre was using governors to hinder the work of elected govts.
Stalin, in a message supporting the protest, said the Centre was not giving the rights due to states and regarded them as “municipalities”. Abdullah questioned why assembly polls were not being held in J&K.
CPM chief Sitaram Yechury said, “PM said the opposition is trying to create a north-south divide. PM needs to understand India’s geography. Kejriwal is not south, nor is Mann. Farooq Abdullah from Kashmir is not south either.”
Vijayan’s protest, which came on the heels of a similar protest by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah a day earlier, saw Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann extend their support.Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin was represented by DMK leaders Tiruchi Siva and Palanivel Thiagarajan, aside from National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, CPM chief Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja, among others.
Siddaramaiah had alleged that the Union govt was unjust to Karnataka in devolution of taxes, giving the state less than its due. Vijayan went a step further, alleging that India’s federal structure was under attack both in financial terms and in the manner in which governors were “interfering” in opposition-governed states, a charge that has repeatedly been echoed by CMs of all non-BJP states.
Kejriwal accused the Centre of waging war against state govts led by opposition parties. “Govts led by opposition parties represent 70 crore people in the country. BJP has waged a war against these states. They have created an India-Pakistan situation with us. Centre is using all tactics to harass opposition govts. First, the central govt is not providing the rightful funds to states. Second, hampering everyday functioning through the interference of governor and lieutenant governor. Third, unleashing central probe agencies after opposition leaders to put them in jail,” he said. Mann alleged the Centre was using governors to hinder the work of elected govts.
Stalin, in a message supporting the protest, said the Centre was not giving the rights due to states and regarded them as “municipalities”. Abdullah questioned why assembly polls were not being held in J&K.
CPM chief Sitaram Yechury said, “PM said the opposition is trying to create a north-south divide. PM needs to understand India’s geography. Kejriwal is not south, nor is Mann. Farooq Abdullah from Kashmir is not south either.”
