Mumbai, February 23 (IANS). The political temperature in Maharashtra politics has increased with the beginning of the budget session. The opposition has launched a scathing attack on the government over the vacancy of the post of Leader of Opposition in both the Assembly and the Legislative Council. Uddhav Thackeray faction’s MP Sanjay Raut has opened a front against the government, calling it a big question related to democracy.
Uddhav Thackeray faction MP Sanjay Raut made a sharp attack on Devendra Fadnavis and the Mahayuti government in a press conference on Monday. Raut said that running the House without the Leader of Opposition is a ‘mockery of the Constitution’. They allege that the government, on the strength of its majority, is weakening the dignity of democratic institutions.
Raut said that the role of the Leader of the Opposition is very important in a parliamentary democracy, because it ensures control and accountability on the government. According to him, the proceedings of the House without the Leader of the Opposition are not only unethical but also against constitutional values. He raised the question that when the government has the majority, why is it avoiding appointing the opposition leader?
He said that the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Assemblies is an essential part of democracy.
Raut said that running the House without the Leader of Opposition is like making a mockery of democracy. They believe that this increases the risk of power becoming autocratic and the institutional balance may deteriorate.
Raut specifically targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party and Chief Minister Fadnavis. He alleged that the opposition has been demanding this post for the last several sessions, but it is being postponed citing technical reasons. He called it a violation of democratic traditions.
He said that this is probably the first time when the post of Leader of Opposition is vacant in both the Houses during the budget session in Maharashtra. If no solution is found on this issue, the opposition will adopt the legal route as well as go among the public. After all, why is there so much fear in the mind of BJP? You have the numerical strength, yet you are shying away from giving place to an official opposition leader in the House.
He called it a violation of democratic norms and alleged that the government wanted to escape institutional control.
–IANS
SAK/ABM
