The Narendra Modi government can commit the same atrocity on the Indian Constitution and cut Tamil Nadu into pieces, similar to the division of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories, said Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby.

Campaigning for DMK candidate Dha. Velu in Mylapore on Saturday, Mr. Baby said: “The constitutional arrangement is utterly subverted under the Narendra Modi government. The voting that is going to take place is very, very important for the people of Tamil Nadu and for the people of our country. Because, the ruling party in Delhi is being controlled by the fascist RSS. If the authoritarian moves by Modi and company are not prevented, that will affect the unity of our country. Therefore, only by electing the DMK-led secular democratic and progressive alliance in the State of Tamil Nadu, led by Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, the future of Tamil Nadu as well as the future of India as a country could be protected from serious peril.”

Political decisions

Pointing to the political decisions of the Modi government to abolish the existence of a State having special status, Mr. Baby said: “People went to the Supreme Court. Even the Supreme Court is sitting on the case, without pronouncing a judgment. If this is not questioned — the conversion of a special status State, J&K, to Union Territory – tomorrow, they can do the same with Tamil Nadu. They can cut Tamil Nadu into pieces. In the history of the Indian Constitution, there were instances of Union Territories being converted into States. But under Modi, a special status-State has been converted into Union Territory. This was an atrocity on the Constitution.”

Stressing the need for electing the DMK government to protect the Constitution, Mr. Baby said: “Friends, we know, the Constitution defines India as a Union of States. Without the existence of States, there is no Union. But under Modi, India is a Union without States. The existence of States are being ignored by the Modi-led government, that is the Union government.” Mr. Baby blamed the Union government for the financial assault on the people of Tamil Nadu; for denying the rightful claims of the State government in various aspects, including disaster management and education.

‘Subverting Constitution’

Alleging that the Union government was subverting constitutional arrangements, Mr. Baby said: “I understand that the BJP candidate [of Mylapore constituency] is a former Governor. In the Indian political scenario, after having served as a Governor, they never get into day-to-day politics. Now, under Modi, somebody is being appointed as a Governor, he creates problems for the Opposition-ruled States, then he retires and becomes an Assembly candidate, a Parliament candidate. So the constitutional arrangement is utterly subverted.”

“In the Constituent Assembly, when the post of Governor was being discussed, some respected members expressed their doubts about how Governors pose obstructions to democratically elected governments. Ambedkar, as well as Pandit Nehru and Rajendra Prasad, had assured that as Governors, very respected high-profile persons with impeccable integrity were appointed... Now, somebody is being appointed as Governor, he is working as the agent of the Union government, trying to place hurdles before the democratically elected governments of the States. During British times, we had Governors-General, taking their bulldozer over the country, because India was under British rule. Now Governors under the Modi government are behaving like Governors-General of the British period,” he said.