New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray on Monday alleged that leaders of states ruled by non-NDA parties are being hounded by the central agencies and said his party chief Mamata Banerjee has written to the Committee on ‘One Nation One Election’ headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind vehemently opposing the concept.
Participating in the debate in the Motion of Thanks on the president’s address in Rajya Sabha, Ray informed the West Bengal chief minister is also coming to attend the meeting on ‘One Nation One Election’ on Tuesday and said “nothing will be accepted by our state at least on this issue”.
He accused the BJP-led central government of resorting to “fiscal terrorism” in West Bengal, claiming that 156 central teams were sent to the state to look into the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP claimed that the Centre was indulging in “economic blockade” of West Bengal.
He alleged that disbursal of dues to the tune of Rs 1.16 lakh crore has been stopped by the government and said that resources transferred to the states have been subjected to regressive conditions.
“A glaring example of federalism is that every state which is ruled by opposition parties, their leaders are being hounded by the central agencies. Never in the history of India has this happened,” say Ray.
Taking on the ruling BJP, the TMC MP said the governments ruled by the opposition parties are being dislodged by hook or crook and this is going on every day.
“Even a Dalit chief minister has not been spared,” he said in Upper House.
Referring to the concept of ‘One Nation One Election’, he said “Surprisingly, the retired president of India (Ram Nath Kovind) has been appointed to head a committee and that committee has now started discussing on war footing that this is to be implemented as soon as possible”.
“Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already written to the committee and she is also coming to attend the meeting tomorrow that nothing will be accepted by our state at least on this issue”.
He claimed that One Nation One Election, if implemented, will have “serious ramifications” and labelled it as a “draconian” idea.
“Our Constitutional scheme is altogether different, we are a parliamentary democracy not a presidential form of government like USA. But this will open the door for presidential form of government I apprehend. That is why I (am) totally opposed to this idea of ‘One Nation One Election’,” Ray said.
Participating in the debate, Tiruchi Siva of the DMK alleged that there has been a “blatant attempt to undermine the regional parties and the local issues” after the present central government came to power.
He accused the Centre of a “step-motherly attitude”, citing the example of devolution of revenue shares between the central government and the state governments.
Siva claimed that devolution of funds to the states was reducing year by year and expressed concern over the issue. PTI RSN AS AS
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