THE Supreme Court has restored the Nabam Tuki government in Arunachal Pradesh. It should serve as a warning to the BJP. The party has already caused eyebrows to be raised by forming the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) in Guwahati. The apex court has severely criticised the conduct of Governor J. P. Rajkhowa in Arunachal. He flouted the constitutional principle of following the advice of the council of ministers in the state and unseated the Tuki government. Rumours are afloat that the BJP is making a bid to oust Congress governments in other Northeastern states -Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram. It also has its eyes on the CPI (M) government in Tripura. The BJP had tried the same experiment in Uttarakhand which also failed. It has been on this destabilising course since its massive parliamentary victory. It hardly shows any regard for the democratic process. It should be aware that it cannot bypass democratic institutions which formed the basis of the Indian polity. What applied to Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh should be applicable to the confrontation with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi
The exercise of destabilising opposition parties ruling in states through the Governor was on in the 1970s and 1980s. Article 356 had often been enforced in an arbitrary manner, especially in Tripura and Uttar Pradesh. The regional parties however emerged powerful subsequently. The Bommai judgment of 1994 gave greater legitimacy to state governments. The Modi government professes to uphold what it calls cooperative federalism but it is acting very much to the contrary. It is encouraging that the apex court has arrested the unhealthy process though running the risk of being accused of judicial activism.