CPI(M) says joining AAP's march to PM's residence

The CPI(M) said today that it will join the march by AAP workers to Prime Minister's residence, signalling that the opposition parties were closing ranks with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in his confrontation with the Centre.

CPI(M) general-secretary Sitaram Yechury said his party condemns the manner in which the federal feature of the Constitution was being "undermined" by the BJP government at the Centre.

"Joining the protest rally to the prime minister's residence today to express serious condemnation over the manner in which the federalism, a fundamental feature of our Constitution, is being undermined by this BJP central government," Yechury said in a statement.

 

"Utilising the office of governors and Lt governors, the BJP central government is seeking to destabilise non-BJP democratically-elected state governments," he said.

He said the governor's office was sought to be utilised to "hijack people's mandate" in Karnataka, which was thwarted.

His reference was to Karnataka governor inviting the BJP to form the government in the state. The Congress-JD(S) post-poll alliance, however, formed the government in Karnataka.

"Such efforts are destroying the already fragile centre-state relations which is the backbone of the federal content of the Indian Constitution," Yechury said.

By stating that the communists in India were the first victims of central "authoritarian misuse" of constitutional provisions when the democratically-elected government in Kerala was "undemocratically dismissed" in 1957, he pointed out that this often happened with Left-led governments in Kerala and West Bengal subsequently.

Interestingly, Congress, the biggest opposition party, has come out openly against the Delhi chief minister, saying Kejriwal should concentrate on governance rather than theatrics, creating a rift within the opposition unity.

The CPI(M)'s support to Kejriwal came as the TDP, the TMC, the JD(S) also appeared to supporting him in the confrontation with the Delhi Lt. Governor and the Centre.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, Andhra Pradesh's N Chandrababu Naidu and Karnataka's H D Kumaraswamy had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting and urged the Centre to resolve the issue.

Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues have been staying put at the waiting room at Raj Niwas, protesting against what they call a strike by Delhi government IAS officers.

The IAS officers have denied they are on strike.