Press
Briefing Monday, 11th October 2010
Shri
Manish Tewari addressed the media today.
Shri Manish Tewari said what happened in Bangalore today
morning, has once again exposed the fascist face of the
Bhartiya Janata Party. The Speaker of the Karnataka
Vidhan Sabha, after misusing the provisions of the 10th
Schedule, attempted to convert a minority Government
into a majority Government. Perhaps never before has,
constitutionalism, the rule of law and the spirit of
democracy, been trampled so mercilessly. Even after
illegally disqualifying 16 MLAs, the BJP did not have
the courage to face up to the vote of confidence and
that is perhaps why the Speaker, in violation of all
parliamentary and legislative traditions, without caring
for the constitutional precedence and the procedures
which govern as to how vote of confidence should be
taken, became an accomplice in the murder of democracy
in the Karnataka Vidhan Sabha today. The BJP, which
prides itself as a party with a difference, once again
stood exposed before the nation that in its bid to
redeem power, it was prepared to completely subvert the
constitution and completely subvert all legislative
principles to cling on to power at any cost and I would
like to add that this is not something which is confined
to the Karnataka Unit of the BJP, it was a command
performance which was choreographed and master-minded by
the top most echelons to the party sitting here in
Delhi.
To a question as to how far the situation in Karnataka
is different from the one which had happened in Goa on
3rd Feb 2005, Shri Tewari said that the BJP had earlier
insisted that the proceedings of Vidhan Sabha be video
graphed whether it was Jharkhand or any other State.
Where are those principles gone? It was not only the
MLAs who were prevented from entering the Vidhan Sabha,
besides, illegally, persons who were not at all
concerned with the Vidhan Sabha, were allowed to enter
the House and the vote of confidence was got passed
forcefully. If BJP was so confident that they had the
required numbers, then they should have allowed the
proceedings of the House to take place in a transparent
manner.
To another related question, Shri Tewari said the fact
is that the Government in Karnataka is a minority
Government. The Government does not enjoy the confidence
of the House. The Governor, as the first citizen of the
State, obviously must have taken a view of the
developments which have taken place. There are reports
in the Press that the Governor has made some
recommendations but till the time we officially do not
hear from the Raj Bhawan, we do not want to comment on
it. But obviously it would be a complete constitutional
travesty if a minority Government is allowed to
continue, especially after the despicable scene that the
Karnataka Vidhan Sabha witnessed today.
Shri Tewari further added that essentially what I am
saying is that we await the report of the Governor. Let
Governor report to the Central Government and once that
report is public, once we know as to what the
recommendation is and once the Cabinet has taken a view
on it, we would formulate our political strategy keeping
in view these developments.
To a question as to whether it is a fact that during the
1962 war with China, RSS had lauded the Indian forces
and the then Government had allowed the participation of
RSS contingent in the Republic Day Parade, Shri Tewari
said that it would be appropriate if this question is
put to the officials of the Ministry of Defence.
To another question on the statement of Shri LK Advani
maintaining that Ayodhya High Court judgment has paved
the way for construction of a Ram temple and what is the
Congress party’s response to that, Shri Tewari said that
essentially what the judgment of Lucknow Bench of
Allahabad High Court does, is, that it apportioned the
land between three parties. One part of the land has
gone to the Sunni Waqf Board; second part has gone to
Ram Lalla Virajman and the other to Nirmohi Akhara. So
that is what the High Court judgment has done. Moreover,
the High Court has given three months’ time to all the
parties to submit their proposals as to how the land
should be demarcated. I do not know as to how Mr. LK
Advani or other BJP leaders are extrapolating what the
media is quoting from this judgment.
Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC
