Modi govt not willing to implement Constitution: SC

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: The central government is not willing to implement the Constitution, the Supreme Court remarked on Tuesday, as it slammed both the Centre and the Nagaland government (both ruled by the BJP) over non-implementation of the constitutional scheme of one-third reservation for women in civic body elections in the northeastern state.

Observing that Nagaland is a state where women actively participate in every aspect of life, a bench of Justices S K Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said the Centre cannot preclude reservation from being extended to women in civic bodies by saying it doesn’t apply to tribal areas.

“Why is it not being implemented. What are you doing? Politically also you are on the same page. It is your government. You cannot get away by saying that there is some other in the State.

“The central government is not willing to implement the Constitution. At the slightest behest, you take action against the state governments. Where a constitutional provision is not being followed, you do not say anything to the state government. What active role have you played to see the constitutional scheme is implemented,” the bench told Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj.

“You will take extreme stand against state governments which may not be amenable to you. Your own state government is violating the constitutional scheme and you don’t want to do anything. How can you wash your hands of it?” the apex court asked.

“Give us some reasonable time and we will have a quietus to the entire situation,” Nataraj said. The top court said the Centre has been afforded umpteen opportunities but it has not done anything yet.