New Delhi: Chief Ministers of Delhi, West Bengal and Bihar on Wednesday mounted a blistering attack on the Modi dispensation, accusing it of "crushing" India's federal structure and running "parallel governments" in states through governors and Lt Governors, and vowed to fight it out.
The Chief Ministers joined hands in lambasting the Centre at a conclave organised by Delhi's AAP government on 'cooperative federalism' and Centre-State relations. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's message was read out at the event as he could not attend owing to Bihar elections.
In her address, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleged that constitutional positions in the country "are at stake" and blasted the Centre for the CBI raids at the residence of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
She wondered what would happen if a CM orders raids at the house of Prime Minister. "Today you conduct raids in the residence of Chief Ministers. But tomorrow if a Chief Minister raids the residence of Prime Minister? All the constitutional positions are at stake. We have never seen such things (raids) happen at the houses of President, PM, CM, judges, newspaper editors. There should be ethics. They have no such ethics," she said.
The CBI had on Saturday conducted searches at 13 places, including Singh's residences in Shimla and Delhi, on the day of his daughter's wedding, in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
Banerjee accused the Modi dispensation of running "parallel governments" in states through governors and "turning everything into communal".
In his address, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded complete decentralisation to strengthen federalism and alleged the Centre was interfering in the functioning of states as well as "undermining" the judiciary.
He also accused it of doing politics in allocation of funds and "arm-twisting" the states by using agencies like CBI, which he said was weakening the Centre-State relations. The Delhi Chief Minister said Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has declared 30 AAP government orders "null and void" which was "unprecedented" in the country's history.
Kejriwal contended that only judiciary has the authority to declare the government orders illegal if they go against the Constitution and wondered what was the need for courts in such a scenario.
Referring to the LG's recent order asking the Delhi bureaucrats not to obey AAP government's "illegal" orders, Kejriwal said "it was akin to encouraging rebellion or treason among the officers".
"Centre and the LG are not only impinging on powers of the state governments. They are also taking away the powers of the judiciary. They are saying we will declare orders null and void and not the judiciary. It seems we do not need judges in Delhi any more," he said.
In his message, Kumar accused the Centre of "crushing" federal structure in the country and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why he did not fulfil the promise of giving special status to Bihar though he made a series of "big" announcements considering assembly polls in the state.
Kumar, who is leading the grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress, also slammed the Centre for not convening meetings of the national Development Council, which he said is the only "stage" where Chief Ministers present their views.
The conclave was attended by Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar, while Chief Ministers of Mizoram Lal Thanhawla and Puducherry's N Rangaswamy sent their messages which were read out.
In her hard-hitting address, Banerjee, giving an example of weakening federal structure, alleged that the West Bengal Governor had written to the Union Home Ministry demanding central forces for civic polls in the state without keeping her in the loop.
"It's shocking. They should fight politically. Why this parallel government everywhere from the houses of Governors and Lt Governors? I respect my jurisdiction and have no political intent to interfere. But what is happening in the name of democracy?" Banerjee asked during a 40-minute long speech.
She advised the Centre to restrict itself to making policies and administering sectors such as defence and railways and "nothing else". Banerjee alleged cooperative federalism was in danger as the government was working in the background to weaken it.
"They are making everything communal. Even when a child suffers an accident they see whether he is a Hindu or Muslim. They have threatened Derek (O Brien) saying we are committing Hindu genocide. Inter-religious relationships are being given communal tint," she said, apparently hinting at the Hindu right wing's campaign against 'love jihad'.
She also referred to the Burdwan blasts that claimed two lives last October to make a case of alleged discrimination by the Centre. Mamata said while the Centre rushed NIA to probe the blasts, it did no such thing when bomb blasts occurred in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
Kejriwal said hosting of the conclave was not an effort to form a third front. "We aren't trying to form a third front. We have come together on a common issue, the issue of Centre-state relations. This is just a common platform," he said.
The Delhi government had invited all the Chief Ministers including those from BJP and Congress-ruled states to the conference. But only Banerjee and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar attended it, while three others sent their messages.
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