"Attack on democracy": TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee slams BJP over 'One Nation One Election' bill

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the 'One Nation, One Election' bill, claiming it is an 'unashamed' attack on democracy.
In a post on X, the TMC General Secretary stated the bill that presses for simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies seeks to rob the people of their fundamental right to vote regularly.
"The BJP's brazen attempt to introduce a constitutional amendment bill today, while the constitution debate is still underway in Parliament, is nothing short of an unashamed attack on democracy. The One Nation One Election bill seeks to rob the people of their fundamental right to vote regularly, Banerjee wrote in his post.
He termed voting rights as power that holds governments accountable and prevents unchecked power and claimed that the bill is rather a direct 'assault' on the very foundation of India's democracy.
"A right that holds governments accountable and prevents unchecked power. This is not just a bill; rather, it is a direct assault on the very foundation of our democracy built through the sacrifices of our founding fathers," he added in the same post.
He said that West Bengal will not sit silently and will fight tooth and nail to protect the soul of India and crush this anti-democratic agenda.
Meanwhile, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved to introduce the Constitution (129 Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, paving the way for the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal. The proposal aims to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across the country.
In addition, the law minister also sought to introduce bills to amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963; the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, as per the day's schedule. These bills aim to align assembly elections in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry with the proposed simultaneous elections.
Earlier, Congress MP Manish Tewari, opposing the Union Minister's move, said, "Beyond the seventh schedule of the Constitution is the basic structure doctrine, which spells out that there are certain features of the Constitution beyond the amending power of the House. The essential features are federalism and the structure of our democracy. Therefore, the bills moved by the Minister of Law and Justice are an absolute assault on the basic structure of the Constitution and are beyond the legislative competence of the House."