Preach, but not practice appears to be Modi govt’s mantra

Hyderabad: The adage ‘practice what you preach’ seems far removed from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheme of things now. It has become the norm for Modi in power to sing a diametrically different tune on the very issues on which Modi of pre-2014 raised vocal protests, be it fuel price hike or farmers’ issues, among […]

Hyderabad: The adage ‘practice what you preach’ seems far removed from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheme of things now. It has become the norm for Modi in power to sing a diametrically different tune on the very issues on which Modi of pre-2014 raised vocal protests, be it fuel price hike or farmers’ issues, among others. Adding to the list of U-turns is his stance on cooperative federalism.

As Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, who vehemently opposed the institution of Governors and demanded that the then UPA government implement the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission, seems to be doing exactly the opposite in an attempt to take control of the affairs of non-BJP-ruled States like Telangana.

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In March, 2012, Modi delivered a talk on ‘Indian Federal System’ as part of Dr Om Nagpal Memorial Series held at Indore. He lashed out at the UPA government for weakening the federal structure and snatching away the rights of the States. He gave several examples of the ‘anti-federal mindset’ of the UPA government and demanded implementation of the Sarkaria Commission’s report on Centre-State relations and Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi’s report on Centre-State financial relations.

He had then alleged that the UPA government was leaving no stone unturned to harass non-Congress governments and Opposition parties in an attempt to ‘stop progressive States from prospering.’ He also criticised the appointment of Governors to work against non-Congress State governments as well as using Central agencies to harass the Opposition government. “It’s a conspiracy to grab power through the backdoor… Already several opposition leaders are in CBI’s dragnet, now they are bringing in NCTC (National Counter Terrorism Centre),” he had alleged then.

However, in sharp contrast, the Modi government has been consistently trying to interfere with the affairs of States like Telangana through the contentious farm laws, the proposed amendment to Energy laws, paddy procurement and endless other measures. To start with, the BJP government at the Centre failed to implement the recommendations of both the Sarkaria Commission and Justice Punchhi’s report despite being in power for eight years. It has been using the Central agencies to harass non-BJP or the Opposition-ruled States.

In the latest such instance, the BJP-led Centre appears to be making its moves using the institution of Governor in the State. The TRS government in the State has been thwarting these attempts to a large extent. Against his own allegations as Gujarat Chief Minister against the UPA government as well as in contrast to the Sarkaria Commission’s report, the Modi government has been appointing BJP leaders as Governors in States especially those ruled by Opposition parties. The appointment of Tamilisai Soundararajan who earlier served as Tamil Nadu BJP State president, as the Governor of Telangana is a classic example.

Later, the Governor started calling for review meetings on several issues especially agriculture, health, education and finance, among others, which are purely State subjects where the union government cannot interfere directly. Ironically, Tamilisai conducted field visits to hospitals and agriculture fields, following complaints lodged by BJP State leaders. Further, by her own admission, she submitted reports to the Centre on the State’s performance on various activities.

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