MP: Cong, BJP spar in SC over legacy of Ambedkar, Emergency

Heated arguments broke out between senior counsel of the BJP and the Congress in the Supreme Court, where the later insisted on a trust vote in the state Assembly be deferred till bypolls and quoted B.R. Ambedkar on constitutional methods to achieve goals. The BJP contested it saying the party which imposed Emergency is citing lofty ideals of Ambedkar.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the Congress, submitted before a bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justice Hemant Gupta, citing Ambedkar said BJP is destroying constitutional morality. "Democracy in India is only a top dressing of Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic", said Dave.

Dave insisted that trust vote in the state Assembly be deferred till bypolls for the vacant seats are concluded. He insisted that heavens will not fall if the Kamal Nath-led Congress government is allowed to continue.

The apex court was hearing the cross petitions filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, insisting on immediate floor test and the Madhya Pradesh Congress Party, moved the top court insisting that its MLAs are being held in captivity by the BJP. The state is undergoing political upheaval after 22 rebel MLAs of the incumbent Congress party offered to resign.

Dave, insisting resignation of MLAs amount to defection, said, "the Congress government be allowed to continue till bypolls and the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government must not be saddled on the people... Let them face re-elections and then hold trust vote.. You (BJP) have engineered it. Hence, floor test cannot be permitted at this stage," he added.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Chouhan, vehemently opposed these submissions and apparently took a dig at the Congress counsel and said the party which killed the democracy by imposing Emergency in 1975 is now citing "lofty ideals" of Ambedkar. He insisted that Dr Ambedkar was disappointed by the Congress party. "The Congress wants to stick on to the power by hook or cook", argued Rohatgi.

He argued that after 22 Congress MLAs resigned, the state government is in minority and it should not be allowed to continue even for a day. "It is the lust of power, which is leading to all these lofty arguments.... It is unheard of that a person who had lost majority insists on continuing for six months. Also, insists on re-election before the trust vote", added Rohatgi.

Dave told the court that the Governor has no business to send messages at night asking the chief minister or the Speaker to hold floor test. He said that Congress rebel MLAs were taken away in chartered flights and are currently incommunicado at a resort in Bengaluru.

The arguments will continue during the day. On Tuesday, the court had asked the Kamal Nath government in the state to respond by Wednesday to a plea by senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking immediate floor test in the Assembly. IANS