Simultaneous elections an assault on democracy and federalism: Left parties

New Delhi [India], December 23 (ANI): Left parties have strongly opposed the 'One Nation, One Election' move of the government, for which two bills have been introduced in Lok Sabha, and said it is a direct assault on the federal structure and the rights of state legislatures.
Leaders of the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc met in the national capital on Sunday and discussed the current political situation.
"The proposed amendments to the Constitution are a direct assault on the federal structure and the rights of State legislatures and the people who elect them. It is a recipe for centralization and truncating the will of the people by arbitrary reduction of the five-year term of legislatures" the Left parties said in a joint statement.
The Left parties said they will conduct a countrywide campaign against the `One Nation, One Election' proposal. The government introduced a constitution amendment bill and another bill on the proposal which have been referred to the joint committee of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
The Left parties also demanded the withdrawal of the amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules whereby the right of public inspection of electronic documents such as CCTV cameras and video footage has been annulled.
The meeting decided to step up their campaign for people's issues and said meetings will be held to promote joint actions.
The leaders of Left parties slammed remarks of Union Home Minister Amit Shah pertaining to Dr BR Ambedkar and said there have been protests across the country.
They said the Left parties will hold a joint protest on December 30 to press for resignation of Amit Shah. (ANI)