INDIA bloc leaders slammed ruling BJP, accused PM Modi ‘violating’ Constitution, resorting to confrontational federalism.
New Delhi:
INDIA bloc leaders gathered for a show of unity at the Ramlila ground here on Sunday, who slammed the ruling BJP by accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi government of violating the Constitution by resorting to confrontational federalism.
The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also accused the prime minister of resorting to fiscal centralisation, obstruction of state programs, destabilising state governments, misusing governors and subverting the rights of States.
Addressing a massive rally, he said that “PM Modi wants to change the Constitution by winning elections through ‘match fixing’.
“By buying players, scaring the captain, putting pressure on the umpire and raising the slogan of crossing 400 on the basis of Electronic Voting Machines” he remarked.
“Whereas in reality, even after putting everything together, he is not in a position to cross 180. This election is not just an election to form a government, it is an election to save the country, an election to protect the Constitution” he added.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said it is necessary to recall how the PM is “violating”, in letter and spirit, Article 1 of the Constitution of India that states “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” He said the prime minister started off his innings in May 2014 talking big about cooperative federalism.
“Instead, what he has delivered is confrontational federalism. Cooperative federalism is based on consensus, for which the PM has demonstrated a singular unwillingness and incapacity. In contrast, confrontational federalism is based on creating conflict and division, which is the PM’s core skill” he remarked.
“Using its thousands of crores of ill-gotten electoral bond wealth and the intimidation of the ED/CBI/IT, the BJP has illegally attempted and/or successfully brought down many state governments since 2014 by breaking parties and buying MLAs. The list includes Maharashtra, Goa, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh” he alleged.
“The ED, IT, and CBI have been rendered the frontal organisations of the BJP, and have been used to intimidate senior leaders of the INDIA bloc in several states. At least two chief ministers, and 11 ministers across the country, have been arrested while in office” he said.
Tyranny won’t work and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cannot be kept behind bars for long, said Sunita Kejriwal, reading out her husband’s message from Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody at the INDIA bloc’s ‘Loktantra Bachao’ rally here on Sunday.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said the ruling BJP was trying to break the country into several pieces He urged people not to be swayed by the party’s “new jumlas” during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing an INDIA bloc rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, Mann said the BJP does not want the opposition parties to unite. “These people do not want that we should sit together. Let’s come together,” Mann said.
Mann said the country belongs to all its 140 crore people and is no one’s property.
