Constitutional positions at stake, conveys Mamata

Claiming constitutional positions “are at stake”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has blasted that the Modi Government for CBI raids conducted at he residence of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and and wondered what would happen if a CM orders raids at the house of Prime Minister.

Addressing a Chief Ministers’ conclave organised by the Delhi Government, Banerjee made a stinging attack on the Modi dispensation, accusing it of running “parallel governments” in states through governors and “turning everything into communal”.

“Today you conduct raids in the residence of Chief Ministers. But tomorrow if a chief minister raids the residence of Prime Minister? All the constitutional positions are at stake. We have never seen such things happen at the houses of President, PM, CM, judges, newspaper editors. There should be ethics. They have no such ethics,” she said.

The CBI had on Saturday conducted searches at 13 places, including Singh’s residences in Shimla and here, on the day of his daughter’s wedding, in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Banerjee alleged that the West Bengal Governor had written to the Union Home Ministry demanding central forces for civic polls in the state without keeping her in the loop.

“It’s shocking. They should fight politically. Why this parallel government everywhere from the houses of Governors and Lt Governors? I respect my jurisdiction and have no political intent to interfere. But what is happening in the name of democracy?” Banerjee asked during a 40-minute long speech. She advised the Centre to restrict itself to making policies and admiministering sectors such as defence and railways and “nothing else”. Banerjee alleged cooperative federalism was in danger as the government was working in the background to weaken it. “They are making everything communal. Even when a child suffers an accident they see whether he is a Hindu or Muslim. They have threatened Derek O Brien saying we are committing Hindu genocide. Inter-religious relationships are being given communal tint,” she said, apparently hinting at the Hindu right wing’s campaign against ‘love jihad’.

She also referred to the Burdwan blasts that claimed two lives last October to make a case of alleged discrimination by the Centre.

“Two people had died last year during the pujas. They sent NIA. But no such thing for Madhya Pradesh even after so many people have died in bomb blasts…Hum terrorist hai Bengal ka. See the difference, this is discrimination. It is not right to malign like this,” she said.