Mamata calls for united struggle against BJP

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote to several opposition leaders calling for a united and effective struggle against the BJP and its attack on democracy and the constitution. The seven-point, three-page letter was sent to non-BJP leaders including Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK leader M.K Stalin, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, BJD leader Naveen Patnaik, YSR Congress leader Jagan Reddy, NCP leader Farooq Abdullah, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and CPI (ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya.

"I am writing this letter to you, and to several leaders of non-BJP parties, to convey my serious concerns over a series of assaults by the BJP and its government at the Centre on democracy and constitutional federalism in India," the letter reads.

"The BJP wants to make it impossible for non-BJP parties to exercise their constitutional rights and freedoms. It wants to dilute the powers of the state governments and downgrade them to mere municipalities. In short, it wants to establish a one-party authoritarian rule in India," she wrote.

Calling for a united front against the right-wing party, she wrote, "I strongly believe that the time has come for a united and effective struggle against BJP's attacks on democracy and Constitution."

Referring to the Delhi Act, which renders the Lt Governor of the capital more power than the elected government, she said, "What the BJP has done in Delhi is not an exception. It is increasingly becoming the rule."

She further added examples of alleged 'assaults' on democracy and cooperative federalism by the BJP, which includes amongst other things, the misuse of the governor's office, central agencies, and Enforcement Directorate, the centre creating problems for non-BJP led states, disbanding bodies like the National Development Council and Planning Commission, privatisation of nation's assets and deteriorating state-centre relations.

"Overall, Centre-State relations between the ruling party at Centre and the opposition parties have never been as bad in the history of independent India as they are now, and the blame for this rests squarely with the Prime Minister's authoritarian conduct," she slammed.