Lucknow: BJP on Saturday attacked the UPA
government for allegedly breaching the federal set-up by
targeting opposition-ruled states and warned of legal recourse
if this was not stopped.
A day after the BJP national executive took on Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of corruption, senior BJP
leader L K Advani on Saturday sent a blunt message to the Centre
that his party will look at such options to combat attacks on
opposition-ruled states.
Delivering his valedictory address here, Advani said,
"If this attitude of the Centre continues then, along with our
political fight, we (BJP) will also look for a legal recourse
to combat it."
He criticised the UPA government for using Governors in
states as its "political agents" in NDA ruled states.
Earlier, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi moved a
resolution on how the UPA regime posed a grave threat to the
federal structure of the country by making "hostile, insidious
and politically colourable" attacks on BJP and NDA-run states.
The resolution, which was seconded by Madhya Pradesh
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Bihar Deputy Chief
Minister Sushil Modi, alleges that the Centre was diminishing
financial support to NDA ruled states, misusing Governors as
political agents, and forming bodies like Sonia Gandhi-headed
National Advisory Council (NAC) and National Investigation
Agency (NIA) which the party said are acting against the
federal spirit.
BJP demanded "full and immediate" implementation of
the Sarkaria Commission`s recommendations, setting up a forum
to fight against attacks and discrimination by the Centre and
greater empowerment of the Inter-State Council.
It wanted free appointments of chiefs of CBI, CAG and
CVC to avoid misuse of these agencies.
"The Congress-led UPA government has breached this
dharma more than any other government in free India. It has
breached it through insidious and colourable attacks on the
states and their domain. These are pincer attacks as they are
made by misusing investigative agencies," Modi said.
The BJP alleged that the NAC was contributing to
usurping powers of states by the Centre.
"NAC has drafted a perverse legislation-the Prevention
of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and
Reparations) Bill. It is ill-conceived and it proceeds with an
assumption that the majority community is always the
perpetrator of communal violence. Reverse discrimination in
its worst form!" the resolution stated.
It also accused the Centre of misusing the NIA. "By
setting up the National Investigation Agency the Central
Government now obviously wants to take upon itself the
responsibility of fighting terror by sidetracking the states,"
Modi said.
Modi has a running feud with the Centre on the
Sohrabuddin encounter, the post-Godhra riots and other cases.
He alleged that NIA has taken away the law-making powers of
the states.
The resolution alleged that the Central government
is using the constitutional provisions to make legislation in
respect of items in the concurrent list, but is refusing to do
its duty to provide necessary financial support.
"From drinking water to supply of oilseeds there was
a trend to increase the control of the centre over plan funds
to be spent in the states. Today, they are the Rural Health
Mission and the MNERGA," the resolution states.
By fielding Modi, who is the most prominent face
among BJP Chief Ministers, the party also sent across a
message to the Centre.
The role of Governors also came in for criticism in
the resolution which states that Karnataka Governor H R
Bhardwaj - though he was not named- had twice recommended
imposition of President`s Rule in the state without proper
grounds for doing so.
A special resolution on the political, social and
economic situation in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to polls early
next year, was also passed.
In the resolution, BJP promised to change the "face
and destiny" of UP by ushering in Ram-Rajya (an ideal state)
if it is voted to power.
The party declared it would establish fast track
courts to deal with crimes committed under the present BSP
rule, end anti-farmer land acquisitions and improve the law
and order and infrastructure problems of the state.
The resolution also mentions BJP`s Hindutva agenda by
talking of making efforts at all levels to build a grand Ram
Temple at Ayodhya and stopping cow-slaughter which it claimed
was continuing blatantly despite a ban on it in the state.
BJP has also set-up a 22-member team under former
Assembly Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi to prepare a vision
document for the state.
PTI
