CPI-M cites AAP-LG row to attack Modi

The CPI-M on Sunday attacked the Narendra Modi government over deteriorating centre-state relations, citing the conflict between the Lt. Governor and the AAP government in Delhi.

The CPI-M said in a statement that contrary to the declared statements by Modi that his government promoted "cooperative federalism", the rights of the states were being continuously eroded.

"Clearly, this Modi government is moving towards a unitary form of government that is completely violative of the federal structure in our constitutional scheme of things."

It said the special category status traditionally granted to all the northeastern states had been eroded. New Delhi was also unilaterally appointing its known political workers as governors in states, it said.

"Another affront to centre-state relations has now surfaced between the

central government appointed Lt. Governor of Delhi and the democratically

elected Delhi state government," it said.

The reference was to the strong objection taken by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the appointment of a senior bureaucrat by Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung as acting chief secretary without Kejriwal's consent.

The CPI-M said it "denounces such anti-democratic acts of this central government and calls upon the opposition parties to raise protests against the further erosion of the states' rights and deteriorating centre-state relations".