Gandhi attacks state opposition

Press, 20 February 1980, Page 8

Gandhi attacks state opposition

NZPA-Reuter New Delhi Opposition leaders in India have denounced the Prime Minister (Mrs Indira Gandhi) for dismissing nine state governments earlier this week, and they have threatened to challenge her in the courts. They also called for a united front to oppose Mrs Gandhi in fresh state elections and prevent her from consolidating the power of her ruling Congress (I.) Party. , , ' The nine states were ruled by Opposition parties until their administrations were dissolved pending fresh elections. , Mrs Gandhi, who was returned to power last month with a pledge to give India “a government that works, had been expected to act after she won a sweeping victory in the elections to the national Parliament. _ Her Government said tne state administrations no longer reflected the wishes of the electorate. Opposition leaders denounced the move as unconstitutional .and dictatorial, and the Janata Partv general secretary (Mr Surendra Mohan) said: We shall J'ght it politically and legally. The . former Janata Gov-ernment-gave ,the same reason when it dismissed nine state administrations run by

the Congress (I.) Party after its 1977 national election victory.

Mrs Gandhi challenged the constitutional validity of the move then but the Supreme Court upheld the decision. Special courts set up last year to try Mrs Gandhi and others for alleged offences during her 1975-77 emergency rule have virtually folded up after, the last pending case was referred back to an ordinary tribunal. In the case, V. C. Shukla, Information Minister during the 21-month emergency, was charged with misusing his offical position to have posters designed for the March, 1977, General Election which Mrs Gandhi lost.

Two special courts, set up by the former Janata Government to expedite proceedings against Mrs Gandhi and other accused, have since declared, themselves unconstitutional. ’’ ' ' , Judge Mohinder Singh Joshi, who heads one of the two courts, ruled that Mr Shukla’s plea that the court was illegal “is beyond controversy in the circumstances Mrs Gandhi has denounced the special courts as an instrument of political vendetta and' said not a single charge levelled against her while she was in Opposition had been substantiated.