‘One nation, one ration card’ against federalism: M K Stalin

COIMBATORE: DMK president M K Stalin on Sunday strongly opposed the Centre’s ‘one nation, one ration card’ scheme and proposal to have an All-India Judicial Service for appointments in the lower judiciary. “These are regressive measures that would uproot the federal spirit of the country. What the BJP government is planning to do is anti-constitutional,’’ Stalin said in a statement on Sunday.
Stalin also sought to know if the AIADMK government would prevent the Centre from going ahead with these plans. “People expect the Tamil Nadu government to strongly oppose these moves. Will the AIADMK government raise its voice against the Centre?’’ he asked.
Stalin alleged that the “one nation, one ration card’ scheme was being brought with a hidden agenda. “The BJP government attempting to distribute even rice and pulses in villages in the name of integrated management in public distribution system is akin to making a mockery of Centre-state relations,’’ he said. He said that it was saddening to note that Union food minister Ram Vilas Paswan was also supporting attempts by the Centre to grab the rights of states. “Public distribution is the right of state governments,’’ he said.
Declaring that the common ration card scheme would be enforced by June 2020 is heights of unilateral autocracy, he said.
Stalin said the DMK would never accept the Centre’s proposal to infringe on the state’s right on appointments in lower judiciary. “Appointment of magistrates in lower courts is done by the state government and administration is by high courts. But Union law minister Ravishankar Prasad’s announcement that Centre would appoint subordinate judges is against Prime Minister Modi’s slogan of cooperative federalism,’’ he said.
The move is aimed at piling up all powers with the Centre, he said.
Meanwhile, information and publicity minister Kadambur C Raju said the government would know if there were any constraints only when the scheme was implemented. Only when there are any constrains we can criticise it, he said, and added that it would first be implemented as a pilot project in select states before full implemention across India.