BJP-led Centre is attacking India's federal structure: Mamata

Kolkata: The West Bengal Chief Minister on Tuesday wrote all the non-BJP ruled states and Senior Opposition leaders accusing the Union government of undermining the federal structure of the country. Mamata wrote that the Union government must be held accountable for its actions and demanded the Opposition parties join hands against BJP, The Indian Express reported.

Mamata said in the letter that the BJP lead Centre is influencing a certain section of the country's judiciary, adding that as Opposition parties- including TMC- it's their constitutional duty to counter the suppression of voices of dissent.

She said she is deeply concerned about the ruling BJP's attacks on India's institutional democracy. The Central probe agencies such as ED, CBI, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Income Tax Department have become tools for the union government to target, harass and corner political opponents, she said.

She wrote that the Union government had forcefully passed the Delhi Special Police (Amendment) Bill 2021 as well as the CVC (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the Winter Session of the Parliament, despite the Opposition's walkout. The new laws enable the government to extend the tenures of ED and CBI directors up to five years, a blatant violation of a Supreme Court judgement.

The BJP government pumps up Central probe agencies when elections are near. In BJP ruled states, the party gets these agencies' backing and a clean record, veiling their hollow governance.

She further alleged that chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are defying the directives of the judiciary. She added that because of biased political interferences, citizens are not receiving the justice they received, and that is a dangerous trend in democracy, she wrote.