Efforts being made to undermine federal structure, says Thomas Isaac
New Delhi (PTI): Former Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Saturday said efforts are being made to undermine the country's federal structure and pitched for making federalism a major issue of national discourse, amid a tussle between the governor and the government in the state.
A senior leader of the ruling CPI(M)-led front in the state, Isaac also said the central government does not believe in the country's diversity and was trying to homogenise things.
Criticising the Centre about its views on freebies, he said the central government was trying to discipline states whereas it has reduced corporate tax rate and through Production Linked Incentives (PLIs), freebies are given for production.
He was delivering the fifth LC Jain Memorial Lecture on 'The Challenges of Federalism: Negotiating Centre State Tensions' in the national capital. LC Jain was a Gandhian activist and writer.
Referring to the tensions between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the state government, Isaac said in a parliamentary system, the power is with the Cabinet which is accountable to the elected representatives. "It is a well settled matter."
On Saturday, the state government sent an ordinance to remove the Governor from the post of chancellor of universities in the state, to the Raj Bhavan for approval, days after the cabinet had taken a decision in this connection.
Sources said it was unlikely for the Governor to promulgate the ordinance soon as the tussle between him and the state government over the issue is yet to die down.
"Constitution does not say that Governor is the Chancellor. That status is given through the legislation in the assembly... Never has this happened. There is some decorum in dealing with each other... there was a civility in discourse," Isaac noted.
Further, he said the whole scenario is changing. "Why? because for the first time in the history of the country, we are having a government that does not believe in the diversity of the country... you want to homogenise the nation, one nation, one culture, one nation, one law, one nation, one election...
"Once you have that ideology itself, then every opportunity is made to undermine the federal system that exists. This is a terrible situation," he said.
While noting that there must be a political response to address the situation, Isaac said federalism has to become a major issue of national discourse.
"At the state level... you develop alternatives within the federal system that is possible. The nation must reflect regional aspirations... and a lot of action is possible at the local level," he said.
Isaac also pitched for some federal flexibility in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
The function was organised by the LC Jain family and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
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2022 PM security breach: Arrest warrants issued against 25 farmers, says BKU (Krantikari)
Ferozepur (Punjab) (PTI): The Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari) Thursday slammed the Punjab government for the arrest warrants issued against 25 farmers and insertion of an attempt to murder charge in the FIR in connection with the 2022 prime minister security breach matter in the state.
Leaders of the farmers' body said they came to know about the insertion of Section 307 (attempt to murder charge) of the Indian Penal Code in the FIR after the bail plea of one of the protesting farmers was rejected by a court in Ferozepur.
On January 5, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Punajb's Ferozepur after which he returned from the state without attending any event, including a rally.
Later, the Supreme Court appointed a five-member committee, headed by former apex court judge Indu Malhotra to probe the security breach incident.
Police had then lodged an FIR in the matter. Initially, police had registered an FIR against 150 unidentified people at Kulgarhi police station under Section 283 (danger or obstruction in public way) of the IPC.
Farmers said following a probe by a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), additional charges -- Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault on a public servant), 186 (obstruction of duty), 149 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint) and Section 8-B of the National Highway Act -- were inserted in the FIR by the police.
Police have pressed these charges against 25 farmers by name.
Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari) president Baldev Singh Zira said the bail plea of one of the protesters Kanwaljit Singh was rejected by Sessions Court on Tuesday.
"The state government is apparently working under the pressure of the Union government. It has been three years since the incident. The farmers were actually going towards the district administrative complex to hold a protest, however, the police blocked their way near the bridge," he claimed.
Zira claimed the farmers had no idea that the prime minister was coming via the same road.
"Since the farmers were not allowed to move forward, they squatted there, and started a protest near the bridge", Zira said, adding the prime minister's cavalcade was at a distance of around one km from the protesting site during which no protesters went there."
"The police had earlier booked unidentified people under section 283 of IPC, but later due to some kind of pressure, they added serious sections like 307 of IPC in that FIR," he said.
The Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari) president said, "Police booked 25 people, including me, by name. But no information was shared with us, neither did we receive any notices or summons."
"Now, the court is issuing non-bailable warrants for non-appearance. This is just a conspiracy to demoralise and weaken 'Kissan Morcha 2.0'. But we will not let that happen," Zira added.
Farmer leader Surjit Singh Phul, who is part of the ongoing protest at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, strongly condemned the Punjab Police for pressing the attempt to murder charge against farmers.
"Arrest warrants have been issued against 25 farmers. The Punjab government is working under pressure from the Centre," he said.
On January 5, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to lay the foundation stones of development projects worth over Rs 42,750 crore, including the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway and a PGIMER satellite centre.
When his convoy reached close to the Piareana village on the Ferozepur-Moga road, around 30 km from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, some protestors blocked the road following which the cavalcade was halted for almost 15-20 minutes.
The PM had returned without dedicating developmental projects and addressing a rally.
The incident had triggered a major political row with the BJP alleging that the then ruling Congress in Punjab "tried to physically harm" the prime minister, while other parties too attacked the state government over the law and order issue.
