The apex court had made it clear that the Central government cannot take over the governance of elected state governments
Bengaluru: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday hailed the people of Karnataka for giving a ray of hope to the entire country by defeating a “fascist, communal and divisive” BJP in the recently-concluded Assembly election.
She, however, cautioned people against the developments that happened in Delhi, saying that it was a wake-up call for everyone as it can happen anywhere in the country.
Mufti was referring to an ordinance passed by the President on Friday, May 20, giving overriding powers to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor—a union government nominee—to oversee the transfer, posting, and disciplinary proceedings against civil servants in Delhi.
The ordinance was brought in just a week after a Supreme Court Constitution Bench had ruled that powers over the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in the national capital lay with the Delhi government and not the Central government. The apex court had made it clear that the Central government cannot take over the governance of elected state governments.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, she said, “Whatever happened in Delhi is a wake-up call for everyone. Whatever happened in Jammu and Kashmir is going to happen around the whole country.” The PDP chief added, “BJP doesn’t want to have any opposition. The Delhi government has been disempowered. This is going to happen to everyone.” Mufti also said she will not contest the Assembly election till Article 370 is restored in her state. However, her party PDP will contest the election.
“Karnataka has given a ray of hope to the entire country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everyone in the BJP were using religion in the Karnataka elections but still people voted them out,” she said in a press conference here.
According to her, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had laid the foundation for Congress’s victory in the Karnataka Assembly election.