Accusing the state BJP of trying to create a divide in society over the Sabarimala issue, four BJP leaders resigned from the party on Friday
BJP state committee member Vellanad Krishnakumar, party’s district leaders Uzhamalackal Jaykumar, Thelicode Surendran and V Sukumaran resigned from the BJP, alleging that the party tried to create a divide in society by using the Sabarimala issue.
“BJP tried to create a rift in society, exploiting Hindu emotions for electoral gains and it shows their political shallowness,” Krishnakumar told reporters here.
He also alleged that the party has not yet called a state committee meeting to discuss the political situation.
“This shows that the RSS agenda was being imposed throughout the state using BJP machinery,” he alleged.
“In order to maintain the secular fabric of the state and uplift the marginalised communities of Kerala, we need such progressive movements like the CPI(M), the leaders said in a release.
The Supreme Court had on September 28 opened the hill-top shrine to women of all ages.
The state had witnessed massive protests by hindutva fringe outfits opposing the entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group into the Sabarimala temple since the Kerala government decided to implement the apex court order.
The saffron party had been facing intense criticism from various quarters for calling back-to-back hartals on the Sabarimala row.
The indefinite fast staged by the party leaders in front of the state Secretariat here, demanding the lifting of prohibitory orders and other restrictions at Sabarimala, is yet to create any desired impact.
BJP chief Amit Shah had come out in support of the Ayyappa devotees and accused the CPI(M)-led LDF government of “suppressing” the Ayyappa devotees’ agitation.
He had said on October 27 that an “Emergency-like” situation prevails in Kerala with the state government “playing with fire” in quelling with “brutal force” protests by Ayyappa devotees over Sabarimala issue.
Also Read : Retired Bureaucrats and Diplomats Demand Action Against Amit Shah on Sabarimala Statement
Public Statement and Appeal by Retired Senior Civil Servants and Diplomats on the Comments violative of the Constitution made by the President of the main Ruling Party in his Public Speech at Kannur, Kerala
We are a group of former civil servants of the All India and Central Services, who have worked for decades with the Central and State Governments during our careers. We wish to make it clear that, as a group, we have no affiliation with any political party but believe in impartiality, neutrality and commitment to the Indian Constitution. We continue to uphold the oath of allegiance to our Constitution we took when we entered service.
Addressing a public meeting at Kannur, Kerala, on Saturday, the 27th October 2018, the President of the main ruling party at the centre made two interrelated comments: That the Supreme Court ought to have issued implementable orders; and, that the State Government in Kerala would be brought down for its temerity to enforce the Supreme Court orders regarding the entry of women from a certain age group into the Sabrimala temple by arresting and suppressing ‘Ayyappa devotees.’ Taken together, these two comments make for a scary reading that the President of the main ruling party at the centre is casting aspersions upon and questioning the lawful authority of the highest court of the land, asking the State government to refrain from implementing the Court’s orders, and is explicitly threatening to bring it down by vigilante action of political workers in the streets by fuelling their religious sentiments. There is also an implicit threat of the dismissal of the State Government by the Union Government.
Under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, framed by the Election Commission India (ECI) under the plenary powers vested in it by Article 324 of the Constitution, the Commission has codified the provisions relating to the functioning of political parties. This Order provides for the registration of political parties and its general bases by the ECI. It also provides for their recognition on the basis of their poll performance in the general elections. In 1989, the Parliament inserted a new section 29A in the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which provides that the registration of political parties by the Election Commission India (ECI) would involve an additional condition: every political party must include in its constitution/by-laws an undertaking that it ‘shall bear true faith allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, and to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy, and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India’. The main ruling party at the centre too has made the necessary insertion of this additional condition in its Constitution. Further, the ECI has the power to suspend or withdraw the recognition of a recognised political party for its failure to observe the Model Code of Conduct or to follow lawful directions and instructions of the Commission.
It is well within the rights of any individual to critically opine upon a judicial decision without casting aspersions on the juridical intent. Indeed, judicial decisions do vary between one juridical level and another, and also from one bench to the other in the High and Supreme Courts. There is a due process in place to seek redressal from a decision that has caused one to feel aggrieved; this even applies, in some cases, to the decisions taken by a particular bench of the Supreme Court. There have also been instances of legislative interventions in the Parliament by the executive to countermand an inconvenient judicial decision within the parameters set out in the Constitution. It is not open to any individual, group, or a political party to subvert the due constitutional process by threatening street action or adverse political action by the Union executive.
The cited public speech of the President of the ruling party at the centre amounts to a gross Constitutional misconduct. It is likely to have far-reaching adverse implications for our national polity if it passes unnoticed. The Hon’ble Prime Minister has been a great votary of strengthening federalism during his long innings as the Chief Minister of one of India’s frontline states. As a Prime Minister, he has enthusiastically spoken of the cooperative federalism among the Union and the States. Therefore, the cited content of the public speech of the powerful President of the ruling party is as worrying as it is inexplicable even in the present times when political discourse touches a new low every day.
We respectfully ask:
1. The ECI to take cognisance of the cited public speech by the President of the main ruling party at the centre, to seek necessary explanations from the political party concerned, and to initiate thereafter such steps as deemed fit for defending the sanctity of the Constitution and of the laws made thereunder;
2. The Head of the Government, the Hon’ble PM, to counsel his party President as appropriate and to categorically delink the executive’s support of his cited public speech.
3. The Hon’ble Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of its contempt in such a blatant manner at a public forum, and to proceed forthwith with necessary legal action.
4. The Head of the State, The Hon’ble President of India, to give his sage counsel to all concerned to maintain constitutional decorum and to enforce the corrective executive action to rectify its breach.
Signatories
S.P. Ambrose – IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Shipping & Transport, GoI
N. Bala Baskar – IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Adviser (Finance), Ministry of External Affairs, GoI
G. Balachandhran IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal
Vappala Balachandran – IPS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI
Gopalan Balagopal – IAS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal
Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Coal, GoI
Meeran C Borwankar – IPS (Retd.) Former DGP, Bureau of Police Research and Development, GoI
Sundar Burra – IAS (Retd.)Former Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra
R. Chandramohan – IAS (Retd.) Som Chaturvedi – IRTS (Retd.) Former Additional Member, Railway Board, GoI
Kalyani Chaudhuri – IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal
Anna Dani IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra
Surjit K. Das IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttarakhand
Vibha Puri Das – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI
Nitin Desai – IES (Retd.) -Former Secretary and Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance, GoI
M.G. Devasahayam – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Govt. of Haryana
Sushil Dubey – IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Sweden
K.P. Fabian – IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Italy
R. Govindarajan – IPS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Joint Intelligence Committee, Cabinet Secretariat (in the rank of Secretary to GoI)
Meena Gupta -IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, GoI
Wajahat Habibullah – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, GoI and Chief Information Commissioner
Sajjad Hassan – IAS (Retd.) Former Commissioner (Planning), Govt. of Manipur
Jagdish Joshi – IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary (Planning), Govt. of Maharashtra
Vinod C. Khanna – IFS (Retd.) Former Additional Secretary, MEA
Brijesh Kumar – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Information Technology, GoI
P.M.S. Malik – IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Myanmar & Special Secretary, MEA, GoI
Harsh Mander – IAS (Retd.) Govt. of Madhya Pradesh
Aditi Mehta – IAS (Retd.)
Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan
Shivshankar Menon – IFS (Retd.) Former Foreign Secretary and Former National Security Adviser
Sonalini Mirchandani -IFS (Resigned) GoI
Noor Mohammad -IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, Govt. of India
Deb Mukharji – IFS (Retd.) Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Ambassador to Nepal
S Nagalswamy – IA&AS (Retd.) Former Principal Accountant General, Tamil Nadu & Kerala
Sobha Nambisan – IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Secretary (Planning), Govt. of Karnataka
Surendra Nath – IAS (Retd.) Former Member, Finance Commission, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh
Amitabha Pande – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, GoI
Niranjan Pant – IA&AS (Retd.) Former Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General of India
P. R. Parthasarathy – IPS (Retd.) Former Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Govt. of Maharashtra
V.P. Raja – IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission
Julio Ribeiro – IPS (Retd.) Former Adviser to Governor of Punjab & former Ambassador to Romania
Deepak Sanan – IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Adviser (AR) to Chief Minister, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh
Ardhendu Sen – IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal
Abhijit Sengupta – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI
Aftab Seth – IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Japan
Ashok Kumar Sharma – IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Finland and Estonia
Raju Sharma – IAS (Retd.) Former Member, Board of Revenue, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh
Tirlochan Singh – IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, GoI
Narendra Sisodia IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI
Hindal Tyabji , IAS (Retd.) Chief Secretary rank, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir
