Centre misusing Governors' office to destabilize non-BJP governments: Yechury

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday accused the Modi government of using the Governors office to destabilise the non-BJP state governments as well as to install BJP governments despite the saffron party not winning the mandate.

Yechury's statement came ahead of his joining a protest march to the Prime Minister's residence organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday against the alleged high-handedness of the central government and direct interference in Delhi administration.

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

"Utilising the office of the Governors and Lt. Governors, the BJP central government is seeking to destabilise non-BJP democratically elected state governments. This is happening with the democratically elected governments in Delhi and in Puducherry," he said.

Yechury said the office of the Governor was sought to be utilized "to hijack people's mandate in Karnataka" which was thwarted.

He pointed out that the Governor's office was used to "install BJP governments" even after they have "lost the elections", like in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya.

"The Governor's office has been misused in Bihar to allow the BJP to enter the government through the backdoor after losing the Assembly elections comprehensively," said the leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

Yechury said such efforts were "destroying the already fragile Centre-state relations", which is the backbone of the federal content of the Indian Constitution. "This must not be permitted."

He said the Communists in India were the "first victims of such central authoritarian misuse of constitutional provisions" when the elected government in Kerala was "undemocratically" dismissed in 1959.

"This has happened with Left-led governments repeatedly in Kerala and West Bengal subsequently," he said.

--IANS

mak/mr