Karnataka was 'rehearsal' of LS polls: Yashwant Sinha
New Delhi, May 17: Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Thursday termed the political developments in Karnataka as a "rehearsal" for the Lok Sabha elections and criticised Governor Vajubhai Vala for not adhering to his responsibilities.
Sinha also sat on a protest outside Rashtrapati Bhavan over the issue and appealed to the people to join him to save democracy.
"What is happening in Karnataka today is a rehearsal for what will happen after the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. I am sitting on protest outside Rashtrapati Bhavan against the BJP's unconstitutional move to form a government in Karnataka," the former Finance Minister said.
He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eight seats short in the Karnataka Assembly and no other party or MLA has so far come out in its support.
"By not adhering to his responsibilities and acting just in the opposite, the Karnataka Governor has produced such a circumstance in which an Indian Political League has started, like the Indian Premier League in cricket. Now, MLAs and MPs will be auctioned. They will support those who will give them maximum money," Sinha said.
Will the country's democracy run like this, asked Sinha, adding "we are sitting here to protect those values".
He also took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "Modi had assured here in the Parliament while forming 16th Lok Sabha that he would become the biggest protector of democracy. What is going on in the country now?"
"This was not done only in Karnataka, it has been earlier done in Goa, Bihar and Manipur. In these three states, the Governor called the BJP-led alliances to form the government when they showed their post-poll coalition, and allowed them to take oath.
"Contrary to this, the Karnataka Governor did not allow the two parties who claimed majority to form the government. The Governor ignored them and called the BJP to form the government. Is democracy safe?"
Sinha said democracy first ended in the party, which led him to leave it and now it is ending throughout the country.
He said the "government and the BJP have no right to trample the values of democracy in this way".
The leader said this is the weakness of the political system that issues "which could be solved by ourselves" are presented before the Supreme Court.
"The matter should not go to the Supreme Court. We are bound to take help of the Supreme Court in such issues because justice is not done by the current political system. Justice is not done by the Governor.
"In my view, the Governor's post is bigger than the Supreme Court. He should have done justice. The issue was dragged to the Supreme Court because the Governor failed to do justice."
He also raised questions over the appointment of Governors, saying "if Governors work like soldiers of a party, the country's democracy would not work".
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SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
