Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday lashed out at Mayawati government's decision to raise a special police force to guard Dalit monuments in the state accusing the Chief Minister of challenging the sanctity of the Governor's office and the legislature.
Taking strong exception to the state cabinet's decision to go ahead with raising the special force even when a bill and ordinance for the same purpose were awaiting the nod from the Raj Bhawan, Samajwadi Party, BJP and Congress said it was not the law of the land but "Mayawati law" which was prevailing in the state. "Something of this sort has never happended in the history of Uttar Pradesh ", Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI.
"Yesterday's decision once again proves that the chief minister has no faith in the constitution as she has been repeatedly showing scant regard for the constitutional institutions", Chaudhary charged adding "now she has challenged the sanctity of the office of the Governor and the legislature".
"The Chief Minister and the cabinet have overreached their authority by taking a decision to raise the force ... if the Governor had not given his assent to the bill pending with him in this regard, the government should have got it passed by the legislature again", Chaudhary said citing the example of the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government which had twice brought the bill in the assembly for setting up an university.
Accusing the central government of being responsible for continued "audacity" on the part of the state government, Chaudhary said it was because the Centre has so far "failed" to take notice of such "unconstitutional" actions that further encouraged it. UPCC President Rita Bahuguna Joshi said the right to issue an ordinance rested with the Governor and the Chief Minister should have waited for his assent on the bill and the ordinance.
"It is both against the constitution and the democratic traditions followed in the country", she said adding the executive order issued in this regard by the state government yesterday was "ridiculous and an insult to the office of the Governor". BJP spokesman Hriday Narain Dixit charged the state government with crossing its constitutional authority by deciding to set up a new force through an executive order. "It requires a separate law which can be passed only by getting the bill approved by the legislature and due nod from the Governor", he said.
Dixit also requested the Governor to take cognizance of this "undemocratic" act of the state government and send his report to the Centre.
"Mayawati has scant respect for the courts. She has no time for the Governor, wears garland of currency notes publicly but is not ready to tell its source, turns a blind eye to dismal law and order... it is the Mayawati law which is prevailing in the state ", Rita Bahuguna Joshi said.
The state govenrment had yesterday decided to start the recruitment process for raising a battalion of some 1200 ex- servicemen for protection of nine monuments in Lucknow and NOIDA without waiting for the gubernatoral nod on the UP Special zone protection force bill and an ordinance.
Government sources said the process for selection of the name of the ex-colonel for heading the battalion was being started after which other ranks would be filled so as to make the force operational in three weeks. PTI
