Governors, President act like agents of government says Shiv Sena
The Shiv Sena has said that the Governor and the President sometimes act like agents of the government. The BJP's bickering ally in Maharashtra also said that the BJP's attempt to save the B S Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka was not the way to make the country "Congress-free".
Stressing the need to save democracy in the country, the BJP's bickering ally said no government can use the Constitution to enforce its decisions on people.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena also alleged that "the governor" and the president sometimes act like agents of the government.
"They are the constitutional heads of a state and the country, but they themselves act contrary to constitutional norms," it read.
The Sena's remarks came against the backdrop of Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's earlier decision to invite Yeddyurappa to form the government and prove majority in the Assembly in 15 days.
The marathon three-day political slugfest in Karnataka culminated in B S Yeddyurappa resigning as chief minister on Saturday after he failed to muster the support of seven additional MLAs to ensure he remained in office.
The Congress had earlier released an audio tape where Yeddyurappa was purportedly heard trying to lure an MLA with the promise of a ministerial berth if he backed the BJP government during the trust vote.
There were allegations that Congress MLA Anand Singh was "abducted" by the BJP, but he turned up at the Vidhana Sauda minutes before Yeddyurappa began his speech.
"We are deeply saddened over the BJP government failing to come to power in Karnataka, but the attempt to save it is not the path to make India 'Congress-free'," the Sena editorial read.
"This would further lead to a weakening of democracy, individual freedom and freedom of the press in the country. In the parliamentary democracy, we need a free Parliament as well as free media," it opined.
The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the Karnataka polls, winning 104 seats, but fell short of a simple majority.
The
Congress,
which
finished
second
with
78
seats,
moved
swiftly
and
stitched
an
alliance
with
the
37-member
JD(S).
They
staked
claim
to
form
the
government
but
were
not
invited
by
the
governor.
The
Sena
also
took
a
dig
at
Union
minister
and
RPI(A)
chief
Ramdas
Athawale,
saying
he
had
earlier
stated
that
he
would
leave
the
National
Democratic
Alliance
(NDA)
at
the
Centre
if
the
BJP
flouted
constitutional
norms.
"So what happened in the Karnataka Assembly was not anti-constitutional?" the Sena wondered.
The Republican Party of India (Athawale) is a constituent of the NDA in which Athawale is the Union Minister of State for Social Justice.
"The
Constitution
should
encompass
people's
general
expectations
and
their
welfare.
People
are
custodians
of
the
Constitution.
Hence,
the
Constitution
should
not
dominate
people's
lives.
Thus,
no
government
can
use
the
Constitution
to
enforce
its
own
decisions
on
people,"
the
Marathi
daily
said.
It
said
there
was
a
need
to
save
democracy
from
people
like
Sriramulu.
"The first scene of shaming democracy is over so far. We do not know what is going to happen tomorrow," the publication said.