MADRAS: With people like Chandra Shekhar occupying the Prime Minister’s chair we have to consider whether to contest elections at all Mr M. Karunanidhi said recently To save his own chair he has endorsed the murder of democracy.
Talking to newsmen at the DMK party headquarters he said dismissal of elected governments would not fit into any kind of democracy.
We are satisfied in a way that by dismissing our government Mr Chandra Shekhar could save his own regime temporarily he added sarcastically.
It was a permanent blot and a curse on India the world’s largest democracy that its democratic traditions were being ravaged at a time when even in countries like Pakistan authoritarian tendencies were receding and democracy was having resurgence. Mr Chandra Shekhar was playing an important part in this negative development in the country.
Answering questions Mr Karunanidhi said it appeared that the TN Governor had not given any report recommending the imposition of President’s rule if he had the report would have come to light through the press.
Asked whether a government could be sacked without the Governor’s report Mr Karunanidhi said the constitutional provision was only that the action should be based on the Governor’s report or otherwise But when there was a Governor it could not be done without his report. Moreover when the Governor was in Delhi the or otherwise provision could not be invoked.
The dismissal had been effected without any real reason relying only on the lie about DMK support for the LTTE bandied about by the Prime Minister the Congress-I and the AIADMK.
About the charges made against him by the Prime Minister in Parliament Mr Karunanidhi said even when Mr Chandra Shekhar made the charges he had said that he would not dismiss the Government. He had repeated this to the opposition parties at a meeting the next day.
The AIADMK and Congress-I tried to disrupt law and order through a road roko in TN but failed they then put pressure on Mr Chandra Shekhar threatening to withdraw support. To have his own office the PM had endorsed the murder of democracy.
The former Chief Minister said the dismissal was not just a challenge to his party but to the people of the state to the constitution and to conscientious democratic opposition parties.
He said he would prefer to go to the forum of the people for their support rather than challenge the dismissal in court.
He said the allied parties were discussing the developments at New Delhi on Thursday and based on their decision the DMK and its allies in TN would review their plans The former Prime Minister Mr V.P.Singh the National Front leader Mr N.T Rama Rao the West Bengal Chief Minister Mr Jyoti Basu and the CPM leader Mr Harkishan Singh Surjeet had spoken to him over the phone Mr Karunanidhi said. He claimed that the DMK Madras district secretary and MP Mr T.R. Balu was severely beaten up by the police in front of the party headquarters when he tried to prevent the police from beating up some women blocking traffic on Anna Salai. Mr Balu was taken to Royapettah hospital for treatment.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 22, 1991
