Pressure from states on fgn policy not helping federalism: VP

Against the backdrop of efforts by Tamil parties to press the Centre on Sri Lanka issue, Vice President Hamid Ansari today said pressure emanating from states which "impinges" on the Union government's ability to conduct foreign policy does not help the "federal idea".
Ansari underlined that diplomacy is the most potent force to deal with the various forms of threats and pitched for pooling all resources into this to achieve peaceful and acceptable solutions.
In an elaborate lecture on diplomacy here, he said a "new top dressing, occasional deviations and variations in emphasis" are visible in foreign policy in view of domestic politics.

"A contributing factor for deviations is the pressure emanating from states. Some of these impinge on or constrict the Centre's ability to conduct foreign relations," he said in the first G Parthasarathi Memorial Lecture on 'Prudence and the moral imperative'.
Even though he did not make any specific mention, his comments assume significance as these come amidst intense pressure by Tamil parties on the Centre over Sri Lanka issue.
DMK even pulled out of the central government last week, contending that it was not taking strong stand against Sri Lanka over the ethnic Tamils issue.
It wanted India to support a strong resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) last week.

Citing an example, Ansari said, "a serious student of Indian polity has observed that 'undermining the Centre's governance over its own jurisdiction does not do any service to the federal idea' and 'today the Indian federalism is gravely endangered by populist imperatives originating in the states which encroach so far into the Union's jurisdiction as to enervate Parliament and the Union Executive'.