CPI(M) leads protests alleging assault on cooperative federalism

KRISHNAGIRICPI(M) members protest against Union government's disruption of cooperative federalism and financial maldistribution to non-BJP States.

CPI(M) members, along with the DMK, took out a protest in Krishnagiri slamming the Union government for its alleged disruption of cooperative federalism by deliberate maldistribution of finances to non-BJP States. The protests coincided with the Kerala Cabinet’s protest in Jantar Mantar in New Delhi led by its Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. 

The protesters led by former CPI(M) MLA Dilli Babu foregrounded Thursday’s protests in Delhi and across the country as a fight to protect and safeguard State rights and Cooperative federalism as envisioned in the Constitution.  

Non-BJP State governments were repeatedly under attack, first by Governors acting in opposition to the Legislative Assembly elected by the people, and second through deliberate maldistribution of finances owed to the States, the protesters said.

According to the CPI(M), Governors in non-BJP ruled States acted as agents of the Union government and functioned to disrupt duly passed legislations by refusing assent to the bills and sitting on them indefinitely. Similarly, there was a deliberate attack on financial self-reliance of the States by axing their due share of the finances against taxes collected; and also disproportionate redistribution of finances to BJP-ruled States irrespective of their poor contribution to the State tax coffers, the party said.  

The functioning of the Governors of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, and New Delhi, where the governors undercut the mandate of the State legislature and functioned unilaterally was among the many violations and assaults on Federalism, the protesters said. Bargur MLA D. Mathialagan and DMK council chairperson Farida Nawab were among the protesters.