Punjab Newspaper

The Shiromani Akali Dal President Mr. Parkash Singh Badal strongly opposed the proposed move of the UPA Government to impose President rule in U.P to dismiss democratically elected Mulayam Singh Yadav government by misusing article 356 of the Constitution of India. He said that if the U.P. Government is dismissed invoking article 356, then it would be a day light murder of democracy.
In a statement issued from the party head office in Chandigarh today, Mr. Badal said that the best forum to prove majority is the floor of the state assembly. If there is any doubt about the majority of the government, then an urgent session of the state assembly should be convened. “But the Union Govt. should desist from dismissing the state government merely on the report of the Governor,” added Badal.
Lambasting the Congress party for its anti-democratic actions, Mr. Badal said that in the past also, the Congress party has misused article 356 and used it to dismiss state governments run by regional parties opposed to it. It has used this article as a tool against the Shiromani Akali Dal also. He re-iterated that SAD has always opposed the policies of dictatorship of the Congress party and will continue to do so in future too. He again warned the Congress party to desist from misusing article 356 in UP.