Opposition accuses govt of undermining federal structure, constitutional bodies

Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha on Monday accused the government of attacking the federal structure and undermining constitutional bodies while claiming that an Emergency-like situation exists in the country.

Participating in a debate on the 75-year journey of the Constitution, Debashish Samantaray, whose party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is not a part of either the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), alleged that Constitutional watchdogs have been converted into "pet-dogs".

"What is the situation today, anyone can be sent to jail, chief ministers were put in jail, denied bail. There is definitely an Emergency in the country, I will say it openly," he said. "The so-called Constitutional watchdogs have become pet dogs, anyone can be behind bars without justification," he said.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale alleged that justice is being denied to people under the NDA government and accused it of destroying the Constitution.

"Injustice has been the hallmark of the Modi government. How will PM Modi defend his record on justice to the 21 lakh MGNREGS workers in Bengal who have worked but haven't been paid in three years because the Modi government has withheld Bengal's dues as his party lost elections," Gokhale said.

"The rapists of Bilkis Bano were released by this government. Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi... numerous others are in jail for speaking against the government... The 750 farmers who died outside the borders of Delhi... People of Manipur who have seen homes burn and family die..., " he said.

DMK's Tiruchi Siva accused the Union government of undermining the federal structure of the country.

He said while there is no explicit term for federalism in the Preamble of the Constitution, the first line says "Bharat, that is India, is a union of states". He said the devolution of funds to Tamil Nadu by the Union government has been declining.

"For every One Rupee that we contribute, we get only 0.29 rupee. Tamil Nadu is performing very well, but we are being victimised by the Union government," he said. Siva also expressed concern over the condition of religious as well as lingual minorities.