Constitution faces multiple threats, says Vijayan
KOCHI:CHIEF Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is on a protracted “war” with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over a couple of issues, said constitutional values like secularism, democracy and federalism are facing serious threats in the country.
“Hurdles are being created in realising the true federal concept of complacent states, a strong Centre and dynamic local self-governments,” Vijayan said on Saturday.
“The fundamental democratic principle that the state governments elected by the people of the respective states should play an equal role with the central government in the development of the country is being forgoten,” the chief minister said in his Constitution Day message. “India’s Constitution, which encompasses the ideals of our anti-imperialist struggle, is facing a wide array of challenges on this 73rd anniversary of its adoption. It’s time to join the fight to fend off such threats and defend its spirit and values on our #Constitution Day,” Vijayan tweeted on Saturday. In veiled criticism of the Union government, he said even those holding high Constitutional positions are being used to pressurise elected governments.
“This is one of the concerns on this Constitutional Day,” the chief minister said. According to the ruling Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M), the Union government is using Khan to interfere in the administration so as to destabilise the state government.
He said there are moves to make citizenship in accordance with ones’ religion and the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUS) are being sold off one by one in the country.
According to the chief minister, the employees’ rights were being stripped off and the Constitutional principles of secularism were being subverted in the higher education sector.
“All of these are being challenged legally and through protests in the public sphere and this resistance is the voice for the protection of the Constitution,” he added.
The Constitutional Day is also an occasion to renew our pledge to counter such challenges and to preserve and protect constitutional values and principles, he said.