Let's protect Constitution, Naidu appeals to people

Vijayawada: Greeting the people of Andhra Pradesh on the occasion of the Constitution Day, the former chief minister and TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu in an open letter to the public on Saturday called upon the people to resolve to fulfil the ambitions of the framers of the Constitution who gave us the highest Constitution in the world.

He said that he is writing this open letter to the people to protect the rights provided by the Constitution in the face of the pathetic situation in the state.

He quoted the statement made by Dr B R Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly in 1949. "No matter how good the Constitution is, if the ruler who implements it does not stand up to the people's expectations, it will produce bad results. No matter how bad the Constitution is, if the ruler who implements it is good, it will yield the best results."

Dr Ambedkar might have predicted on that day itself about the leaders like Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said adding that today Andhra Pradesh is ruled against the spirit of the Constitution. Jagan is ruling with dictatorial tendencies in a democratic country and now total anarchy is prevalent in the state, he alleged.

People and political parties are being harassed as false cases are being foisted against those who speak against the ruling party, Chandrababu said, adding that political parties do not even have the right to protest on public issues. Opposition parties are deprived of their right to protest against the high corruption by the ruling party leaders, he stated.

Expressing serious concern, Chandrababu said the values of the Constitution were thrown to the wind and some corrupt officials are taking the law into their own hands. They have forgotten that they are accountable to the people, he added.

Even the legal system is not an exception to the ruling party leaders as they are levelling allegations even against the judiciary. Delivering over 330 verdicts by the courts against the government in 42 months is a reflection of anti-people governance, he said.

Never in the history of the state several officials, including the chief secretary and the DGP had to appear before the court, he stated and expressed concern that this kind of situation is very dangerous for the future of the state.

The people should unite and protect the constitutional values which are now not honoured, he maintained. Otherwise, the future of the state will be in danger, he said. "On the occasion of the Constitution Day, we are calling upon the people to join hands to protect the Constitution and the rights of the people," Chandrababu Naidu concluded his open letter.