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Anti-constitutional, against federalism: Congress slams ONOE
The Congress on Tuesday claimed the bill on holding simultaneous polls was against federalism and "anti-constitutional", and said the voting at its introduction stage in Lok Sabha showed the BJP lacks the two-thirds majority required to pass a constitutional amendment.
Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery debate on Tuesday.
Opposition parties dubbed the draft laws -- a Constitution amendment bill and an ordinary bill -- as an attack on the federal structure, a charge rejected by the government.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament premises, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "Anti-constitutional bill, it is against the federalism of our nation. We are opposing the bill." Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also hit out at the government, saying voting at the introduction stage showed the BJP did not have the two-thirds majority required to pass a constitutional amendment.
"We (the Congress) are not the only ones that have opposed this bill. The vast majority of the opposition parties have opposed this bill and the grounds are very many, it is a violation of the federal structure of the Constitution. Why should a state government fall if the central government falls?" he told reporters on the premises.
"Why should the timetable of one who enjoys the mandate of the people be truncated because of the timetable of another? It makes no sense. In a parliamentary system, you cannot have fixed terms. The reason that fixed terms ended in 1969 is because of the fact that we have in our country a parliamentary system… different Houses, different majorities, different coalitions, may rise and fall at different times," Tharoor said.
He added that going through the trouble of changing the system like this made no sense because it would again result in "the same mess" when a future government at the Centre or in the states lose the confidence of the majority.
Congress created situation that forced us to bring bill on simultaneous polls: Nadda
Rajya Sabha Leader of the House JP Nadda attacked the Congress on Tuesday for amending the Constitution for its own benefit and alleged that its past actions of "toppling governments" in states led to staggered polls, creating the necessity for 'One Nation One Election' bill.
Participating in a debate in the Upper House on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India", the BJP president accused the Congress of practising politics of appeasement and attempting to bring in religion-based reservations, a charge which was vociferously contested by the opposition party.
The BJP president also spoke about the Emergency, rejecting the Congress' claim of having apologised for it. Nadda said if the Congress regrets the step, it should join in observing 'Samvidhan Hatya Divas' on June 25 next year, the 50th anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency.
The BJP leader quoted B R Ambedkar to say "however good a Constitution may be, if those who are implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad", and added that the "bad lot has interfered with the Constitution many times".
On a day when two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery debate, Nadda blamed the Congress for creating a situation that forced the government to take this step.
"We have to bring the One Nation One Election bill because you toppled elected government in states, and elections had to be held," Nadda said.
Nehru symbol of parliamentary democracy: RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha in RS
Criticising the BJP for frequently taking jibes at the country's first prime minister, RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha on Tuesday said Jawaharlal Nehru is a symbol of parliamentary democracy against authoritarianism.
Participating in the discussion on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India" in the Rajya Sabha, Jha said that Nehru did not lose the general elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024, but it was the opposition and the Congress which were defeated.
"You (BJP) may win elections for another 100 years but you will find Nehru (still) standing because he is a symbol of parliamentary democracy against authoritarianism. He is a shield ('dhaal', 'raksha kavach')," the senior RJD leader said.
Jha said people keep criticising Nehru but they should always keep in mind the situation in the country in 1946 and 1947.
"Constructing the ground floor of a house is the hardest. Nehru, Ambedkar and Patel built the foundation. You (BJP-NDA) are constructing the second and third floors. You may construct five more floors but without the foundation, the floors are of no use. This we should always keep in mind," Jha said.