No Scope Of President’s Rule Post Mumbai-Chidambaram
P.Chidambaram today assured the MLA’s that Post Mumbai there is absolutely no scope as to why there would be a President’s rule in West Bengal to restore law and order in the state. He added further that “a team of officials from centre be sent to the state for discussions with his team of bureaucrats” only to analyse the amount of disruption of harmony in the state and will only work to assist the chief minister to restore peace and order.
“There is no scope for invoking Article 356. It (the central teams’ proposed visit to West Bengal) should not be viewed through the prism of Article 356. It is to assist the state government,” Chidambaram was heard saying calmly during the debate staged today to confront the “unconstitutional” side-effects of such a “hasty” decision.
The Home Minister further clarified that it is “entirely non-confrontational,” and must be seen as a simple co-operative way “for putting an end to the political clashes.” This remark came minutes after Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Basudeb Acharia hinted at a “certain minister” Trinamool Congress Party Leader and Railway Minister Mamata Bannerjee’s apparent personal gains. And he alleged that the decision of implementation was just to please Mamata.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta too agreed that the centre should not interfere in state matters and emphasized that law and order fall under state subjects. If the central government feels there is a breakdown in West Bengal, “let them promulgate Article 356. We shall face it in the streets,” Dasgupta argued angrily.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said his party wanted invocation of Article 356 in West Bengal because West Bengal has been hit with “state-sponsored terrorism” and hence its important that the centre takes charge of the situation.
BJP chief L.K. Advani although began with reminding us aboout the differences in the ideologies of BJP and CPI(M) but agreed that “It is a very serious matter,” and must not be implemented with the drop of a hat. He was, though, kind to remind all that the Left parties had supported the then central government in 1992 to invoke Article 356 in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states after the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya. Leader of Opposition in the upper house, Arun Jaitley of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), supported Advani’s stand, “The house would like to be assured that the visit (of the central team) is not at the behest of one of the alliance partners (of the ruling UPA coalition).”
Confrontations and demnads continued with Sitaram Yechury of the CPI-M apprehending that the central team’s visit was a precursor to the “misuse” of Article 356. “I want an assurance that the team will visit (specific spots) only in consultation with the state government,” Yechury demanded. He added that “we normally don’t demand that question hour be suspended but this is a grave constitutional matter and needs to be discussed.”
Sparks flew further as issues were raised against the unconstitutionality of the decision, against the fact which is that sending a central team is violative of the constitution.”
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