SC judgment ‘tight slap on dictatorial Modi govt’: Kejriwal
New Delhi: Opposition on Wednesday hit out at the Modi government over the Supreme Court’s verdict on Arunachal Pradesh with Congress President Sonia Gandhi saying it will deter it from ‘misuse of power’ and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal calling the order a ‘tight slap’ on its ‘dictatorial tendencies’.
Congress also demanded the immediate sacking of Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa and demanded an apology from all those involved in the decision of toppling the government. Government said it will do a “structured examination” of the order and its implications before making a detailed response. Putting up a brave front, BJP tried to deflect the criticism saying the political crisis in the state was an outcome of Congress’ internal fight and claimed that the order is not a setback to the party.
Top Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the party president asserting that those who trampled upon constitutional propriety and democratic norms stand defeated. Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Modi as he thanked the apex court for ‘explaining to him (PM) what democracy is’.
‘Those who had trampled upon constitutional propriety and democratic norms have been defeated. This judgement, that firmly establishes the democratic values enshrined in our constitution, will deter the Union Government from any further misuse of power,’ Sonia said in a statement.
She also welcomed the ‘historic’ verdict reinstating the ‘democratically elected and unconstitutionally removed’ government. Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Nabam Tuki, whose government was dismissed, said the order has protected democracy and ensured that justice prevails. “It paves the way to protect healthy democracy in the country,” Tuki said.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also hit out at the government. “SC judgement is yet another tight slap on dictatorial Modi govt. Hope Modi ji would learn and now stop interfering in democratically elected governments,” Kejriwal tweeted.
The apex court ordered that status quo ante that prevailed on December 15, 2015 be restored in Arunachal Pradesh Assembly. The judgement is seen as a major setback to the central government and the BJP, which is extending outside support to the Pul government. Trying to play down the impact on BJP, party’s national secretary Shrikant Sharma said,”What happened in Arunachal was an outcome of internal fight within Congress. Its government was reduced to minority after a faction within the party rebelled.
We only supported the faction’s bid for power from the outside. Congress should not blame us for its internal problems. “Rahul Gandhi is talking about democracy but he should know that past Congress governments have made a century of the use of Article 356 (of the Constitution) to dismiss state governments.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who had also got relief from the apex court, lauded the verdict. ‘My heartfelt gratitude to the Supreme Court for restoring Cong government in Arunachal Pradesh. Judiciary has restored faith of people in democracy,’ Rawat said in a social media post. The government said it will do a ‘structured examination” of the Supreme Court order restoring the dismissed Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh and its implications before making a detailed response.
However, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad put a poser over developments in the state after December 15, including the withdrawal of President’s Rule and Kalikho Pul proving his majority subsequently in the Assembly following the “legislative procedures” and forming the government. “We are yet to get the order. We will study it in detail… and then make structured response. We will do a structured examination of the order. It requires detailed consideration,” Prasad told reporters at the Cabinet briefing. “We will carefully study the judgement and its implications,” he said. Noting it was “probably the first time” that President’s rule imposed by a Central Government has been reversed by Supreme Court, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury described the verdict as “very, very big indictment” of the Modi dispensation.
He demanded that Centre take action against those responsible for the “continuous transgressions” of Constitutional structure, first in Uttarakhand and then in Arunachal Pradesh. “In both the instances (Uttarakhand and Arunachal) the apex court had to intervene…the government should learn to curb its authoritarian tendencies which have been increasing in the past and we will demand fixing of accountabilities and consequent action in Parliament,” Yechury told reporters.
CPI National secretary D Raja termed the verdict as “slap on government’s face and victory of democracy.” Congress also demanded a probe into a tape-recorded conversation of some BJP leaders and a businessmen, handed over as proof to the court, for toppling the Arunachal government. (PTI)
“We want the Governor to submit his resignation immediately and if he does not do so, we will ask for him to be dismissed both outside and inside Parliament. I have heard that Rajkhowa is on leave, he should go on long leave,” senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said.
Meanwhile Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul said that there was no threat to his government as the required numbers are with him and it will be decided on the floor of the Assembly. Pul, who had led the Congress rebels then, said, “(Our) government will remain. That will be decided on the floor of the Assembly.
Government runs only with the numbers. There is no threat to our government,” he told reporters. He also said that a review petition will be filed in the Supreme Court seeking reconsideration of it verdict. (PTI)