TD accuses Jagan government of committing contempt of court

VIJAYAWADA: Leader of Opposition in AP Legislative Council, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Saturday expressed anguish that the YSR Congress government was working against the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar by resorting to unconstitutional and lawless practices.

He termed it as a 'contempt of court' on the part of the State government to create obstacles for conducting panchayat elections in total disregard for the High Court division bench order.

This was tantamount to contempt of court. By disrupting the functioning of the State Election Commission (SEC), the government was causing a Constitutional breakdown. He claimed that the Supreme Court had issued an order when TN Seshan was the CEC that the SEC would have the autonomous powers that are granted to Central Election Commission.

Alleging that the government was deliberately undermining the courts and the SEC, he said that YSRC's thoughtless actions would pave way for imposition of Article 356. He claimed that Jagan Mohan Reddy has become a stigma to the post of a Chief Minister. Government officials were also disobeying SEC orders, he said.

The Telugu Desam leader accused the Chief Minister of undermining the Constitution by disregarding the 74th and 75th Amendments. He claimed that the Governor had a responsibility as per the Article 243 K (3) to make sure that the government should provide the staff to the SEC to conduct the polls. He claimed that the SEC had issued the panchayat poll notification as per the affidavit submitted by the Union Government for conducting polls and going about the vaccination programme simultaneously.