1) In State after State governed by non-BJP parties, the Centre has been creating problems for the duly elected governments by misusing the office of the Governor. In many States, including in West Bengal, Governors have been functioning like BJP’s office bearers, and not as neutral Constitutional authorities.
2) The BJP Government at the Centre has been brazenly and vindictively misusing the CBI, ED and other institutions against leaders and functionaries of non-BJP parties for its own partisan political ends. Both in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. where Assembly elections are now underway, the Modi Government has unleashed the ED to conduct raids on functionaries of the All India Trinamool Congress and DMK. Predictably, these institutions target only non-BJP leaders, and never those belonging to the BJP.
3) The Modi Government is deliberately withholding transfer of funds to State Governments, especially those ruled by non-BJP parties. so that we face problems in implementing our development and welfare schemes to benefit common people.
4) By disbanding the National Development Council, Inter-State Council and the Planning Commission (which has been replaced by a toothless think tank called NITI Ayog). the Modi Government has deactivated every single platform where State Governments used to traditionally place their legitimate demands, needs, concerns and views before the Central Government.
5) The BJP has amassed unlimited resources from questionable sources, which it is using to topple duly elected non-BJP governments and to engineer defections in non-BJP parties.
6) The Modi Government’s policy of reckless and wholesale privatisation of the nation’s assets is also an attack on democracy, because these assets belong to the people of India
7) Overall, the Centre-State relations, and also relations between the ruling party at the Centre and Opposition parties, have never been as bad in the history of independent India as they are now, and the blame for this rests squarely with the Prime Minister’s authoritanan conduct
There is a clear pattern and purpose behind all these developments. The BJP wants to make it impossible for non-BJP parties to exercise their Constitutional rights and freedoms. It wants to dilute the powers of State Governments and downgrade them to mere municipalities. In short, it wants to establish a ONE-PARTY AUTHORITARIAN RULE in India.
Therefore, I strongly believe that the time has come for a united and effective struggle against the BJP’s attacks on democracy and the Constitution. As the Chairperson of All India Trinamool Congress, I shall work wholeheartedly with you and all other like-minded political parties in this battle. We can win this battle only with unity of hearts and minds, and by presenting a credible alternative to the people of India.
After the conclusion of the ongoing Assembly elections, I suggest that we deliberate on these issues and chart a plan of action.
With Regards Mamta Banerjee”
