Sunday, September 23, 2018

Editorial, "WHY THE ASSEMBLY WAS DISSOLVED," LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 September 2018, Vol. 14, Part 2, No. 17 issue

WHY THE ASSEMBLY WAS DISSOLVED

prematurely in Telangana, when there is still about 9 months time for the existing Assembly to continue and the general elections are anyhow due in about six months, at the mere whim and fancy of the corrupt and cantankerous Chief Minister and why the Governor of the State, without batting an eyelid, put his rubber stamp of approval within minutes of the decision conveyed to him – is the baffling question rankling in the minds of all lovers of and sticklers to democracy. A real doubt arises as to whether we have bred, and are nurturing, an array of naya nawabs acting despotically in the guise of democracy, watching the autocratic style, callous conduct and colossal cupidity of the many rogues in power in the country. True, several Assemblies in India were dissolved prematurely earlier too and the elections were conducted with much effort in such instances within six months of dissolution but then there were some valid reasons or situations calling for the same. But the present one seems to be entirely due to the will and pleasure of a chief minister blindly approved by a constitutional head of the province, expected to exercise his own discretion in such matters. This also dissolves the many complaints in and out of Courts regarding the corrupt practices of this Chief Minister in enticing and recruiting several defector MLAs and even bestowing ministerial post on a chief defector in blatant violation of all the norms and provisions of the Constitution in league with the Speaker of the Assembly [who continues as the ruling party Polit Bureau member all along]. Sadly the Constitutional Courts also abdicate their powers and duties, pleading inability to intervene in such matters in the name of ‘respecting the separation of powers’ as if the basic democratic structure can be undermined nonetheless; and in that case why not the Xth Schedule of the Constitution, which is read to vest more powers on the Speaker than elsewhere in the Constitution on the President of India, be altogether deleted? Discerning people only think that all this is done due to and based on a secret deal between the ruling parties at the state and the Centre with understanding to free the hands of the current Chief Minister, who feels sure to get elected again, for a future alliance with the current ruling party in the 2019 General Elections to the Lok Sabha and divide the spoils; but no public purpose is involved in nor any good to the people will accrue by this decision. However, this editor wishes, and hopes, the Telangana people strike back to reject such despotic chief minister at the coming polls. §§§

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