A day after the Supreme Court-observed floor test saw the Congress government in Uttarakhand retaining its majority, the Shiv Sena slammed its saffron partner, the BJP, for its role in destabilising the Harish Rawat Government.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spelt out his views on the issue in an editorial on Thursday in the party’s mouthpiece, Saamna. Thackeray is the editor of the paper.
The Sena is the only ally to have come out and spoken against the BJP’s role in the crisis, after the BJP-led NDA government recommended the imposition of President’s Rule in the state. Hitting out at the BJP, the Sena warned that if it continued its ways, the country would hurtle towards another emergency-like situation.
“Political instability and horse-trading are ills that plague our political system, especially in smaller states. But, when the very people who are supposed to cure our system try and spread the illness some more, it becomes a major cause of worry. One starts wondering if anarchy and an emergency-like situation will arise,” said Thackeray.
Slamming the BJP government for recommending President’s Rule in the State, Thackeray said, “Had there been a floor test as soon as the 9 Congress MLAs walked out of the party, the Congress would have surely lost. But, there was dilly-dallying and power was misused to impose President’s Rule. Through that one decision, democracy was shackled and it was left for the judiciary, then, to free democracy from those shackles,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Slamming the BJP government for recommending President’s Rule in the State, Thackeray said, “Had there been a floor test as soon as the 9 Congress MLAs walked out of the party, the Congress would have surely lost. But, there was dilly-dallying and power was misused to impose President’s Rule. Through that one decision, democracy was shackled and it was left for the judiciary, then, to free democracy from those shackles,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Thackeray, in the editorial, also said that the tables had turned. “Those people who came to power after crying hoarse about the Congress murdering democracy have now come to power and done exactly the same,” he said.
Thackeray’s editorial also warned the BJP against employing power to destabilize opposition-ruled governments in various states. “This is the not the way to make India Congress-mukt (free of Congress rule). If things continue this way then there will be dictatorship in the country and democratically-elected governments will be thrown out by force. This is a terrible scenario for the future.”