From the Urdu Press: ‘Bengal Governor seems to be bent on playing Viceroy’, ‘BJP Kerala rise alarming for LDF, UDF’

It notes that this bitter conflict between the Bengal Raj Bhavan and TMC government has lasted several years now. “For Bose, this is a legacy of his predecessor and current Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, which he seems to be carrying forward… Bose has regularly kept the heat on the state government over various cases of violence and law and order problems, such as the Sandeshkhali incident. He has often visited these hotspots without taking the state government in confidence, and then sent his stinging reports to the Centre.”

The editorial points out that the month-long impasse over the swearing-in of two new TMC MLAs exemplifies the breakdown in the relations between Governor Bose and the Banerjee government. “The Speaker also sent a letter to President Murmu to complain against the Governor before going on, in an unprecedented move, to convene a special Assembly session on his own to enable the oath-taking of the two MLAs,” it says. “The state is staring at a constitutional crisis if this conflict is not resolved soon, for which the Governor would be responsible as he seems to be bent on playing the role of a Viceroy.”

SALAR

A day before Rahul Gandhi’s first visit to Manipur as the LoP, the Bengaluru-based Salar, in its editorial published on July 8, pointed out that Manipur has been roiled by ethnic conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi communities for more than a year, and that there has not been any notable improvement in the situation. “In this backdrop, Gandhi’s visit to Manipur assumes immense significance… In his speech in the House too, during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Gandhi highlighted the Manipur crisis, slamming the Narendra Modi government over its failure to douse the fire of violence there,” the edit says. (During his visit to Manipur on Monday, Gandhi met displaced people from both Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities, called for peace and urged PM Modi to visit the state to listen to its people).

Rahul Gandhi interacts with children at a relief camp in Churachandpur on Monday. Express photo

The daily writes that the BJP-led Manipur government has drawn serious allegations about its failings in tackling the crisis. It notes that even the Supreme Court recently fulminated against the Manipur government over an undertrial prisoner belonging to the minority Kuki community not being taken to hospital for treatment over safety concerns. “It is imperative for any government to leave no stone unturned to ensure peace and normalcy for all its citizens without any discrimination. Although over 200 people have been killed in the state, the government has not been able to restore law and order. Who will take responsibility for it?” the edit asks. “While the Centre has assured Parliament that there is hope for peace in Manipur, the apex court has observed that ‘we do not trust the state’. This is a grim situation for any democratic state.”

SIASAT

Referring to the debacle in Kerala of the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in the Lok Sabha elections, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its editorial column ‘Fikr-o-Nazr (reflection and insight)’ on July 6, says that alarm bells have started ringing in the Left circles due to the emergence of the BJP in the state. This is not only because the BJP has created history by winning its first-ever Lok Sabha seat in Kerala but also on account of the fact that the BJP-led NDA’s vote share has shot up to 19.2% in the state, which is an increase of 3.6% as compared to the 2019 polls,” the edit piece says. “The BJP garnered more than 30% votes in three seats in Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls, whereas the party had done this in only one seat in 2019. The BJP finished first in 11 Assembly segments this time, while it had led in only one Assembly seat in 2019.”

The daily says the BJP has got more votes than its earlier share in several Left strongholds in the state. “The RSS has intensified its activities in Kerala in recent years and has set up its units across the state. The Sangh Parivar has been trying pro-actively to connect with people through various festivals and programmes in their bid to strengthen the BJP. This would cause concern among the ranks of the LDF as well as the Congress-led UDF.”

The edit notes that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is now bracing for stiff challenges, even as his government has drawn flak for having filed cases against political rivals and scribes. “The Sangh Parivar has been keeping a tab on the Left’s shortcomings, working out its strategy to boost the BJP. On its part, playing its Hindutva card, the BJP has been trying to cash in on the tussle between the LDF and the UDF,“ it says, adding that the LDF government has also been beset with corruption allegations. “The BJP has been going all out to expand its footprint in Kerala, which has always witnessed alternating governments of the LDF or the UDF so far.”