Modi weakening federal structure of India: Meghalaya CM

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of weakening India's federal structure.

"They are going to destroy this nation, diluting the federal structure is one step for ultimate disastrous future of this nation," he said referring to Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons' recent announcement of a Rs 70 crore tourism package to develop religious and spiritual circuits in the state.

"When he (Modi) was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he used to talk about the attempt to dilute the federal structure of the nation. Today, this particular strategy of BJP gives you a proof beyond reasonable doubt about their intention to dilute and weaken the federal structure of the nation," Sangma told journalists here.

He also termed the move as "a complete infringement of the states' domain which needed to be collectively and strongly resisted", saying nowhere in the country's history had this "type of attitude" seen where the central government is trying to reach out to the stakeholders directly.

"Why do you have state governments, why do people fighting for statehood... because the federal structure that we have withstood the test of time. And these people are aggressively engaging in activities to dilute, dilute and weakened the federal structure it is very dangerous," he said.

Expressing surprise at such announcement made by central government without the state government's recommendation, Congress General Secretary C.P.Joshi said: "The strategy was to woo the voters of the state."

--IANS

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