Governors acting like agents of Centre: Sinha

CHENNAI: Yashwant Sinha, the joint opposition candidate for the Presidential election, on Thursday said that Governors were misbehaving with the elected state governments and acting like agents of the Centre, instead of being agents of the President, under the Modi regime.

Sinha also said that if he becomes the President of India, he will ensure that the provisions of the Constitution are strictly adhered to and excesses of the Union government are stopped.

Addressing the elected representatives of the Secular Progressive Alliance in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin at DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam on Thursday, Sinha said one who holds the post of the President must act as a restraining force of the executive. “We cannot have a person who is the prisoner of the Prime Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan,” he said. Recalling how Modi handed over the nomination papers of the NDA presidential nominee (Draupadi Murmu), Sinha added, “Do we want a Rashtrapati, who will be absolutely silent in Rashtrapati Bhavan just as she was silent after filing her nomination?” Reasoning that his candidature was a continuing struggle against the excesses of the government and the party which runs the government, Sinha said, “I was struggling against it earlier. I will continue to struggle against it even in the future.” Defending his candidature he said, “If I were the 10th choice, I would have accepted. For me, this is part of the struggle we are engaged in this country to protect the Constitution.”

"Will ensure Centre doesn’t override states"

Yashwant Sinha, the joint Opposition candidate for the Presidential election, on Thursday said, if elected, he will ensure that Delhi doesn’t override states.

“Tamil Nadu always had a glorious tradition of standing up for its rights, culture, language and values,” he said and added it is my responsibility and duty to continue the struggle and ensure that Delhi does not override state capitals.

“It does not matter what the ultimate result is. If I am able to occupy the exalted chair, then I promise you, I shall strictly observe the provisions, norms, precedence, practices and conventions of the Constitution. I will make sure that the excesses committed by the executive is brought under some check. I will ensure that Governors do not ill-treat elected representatives and governments,” he said.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, Congress legislators, MLAs of CPM, CPI, VCK and Tamilaga Valvurimai Katchi also spoke at the event.