Amaravati JAC writes to President Ramnath Kovind, seeks intervention on capital split

Amaravati: Prof GVR Shastri, chairman of the Joint Action Committee of the Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi in a letter to President Ramnath Kovind stated that he wishes to bring to his kind notice the stand taken by Union Home Ministry before the Andhra Pradesh High Court on the proposed trifurcation of capital of the State which ex facie amounts to dereliction of Constitutional duties.

Prof Shastri stated that this was a serious matter of constitutional impropriety, and voluntary cessation of the power and the role of Union government, relating to the trifurcation of capital which as a custodian of the Constitution, the President must take appropriate steps to maintain the constitutional balance of powers between Union and the States.

He recalled that the Home Ministry has on August 6, filed a duly sworn affidavit before the High Court making it abundantly clear that the Centre has no role in the selection of Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh and it is its sole discretion. He appealed to the President to note that these blanket statements in the context of the proposed trifurcation will have disastrous and far reaching consequences which will be irreversible and would become a fait accompli if immediate corrective action is not taken.

This constitutionally flawed stand of the Central government can lead to chaos as every State government coming into power may try shifting its capital from one city to another. These affidavits and the stand of the Central government on the subject of exclusive jurisdiction of State governments will become a handle for unscrupulous political players to misuse this for sinister personal and vested interests. As a constitutional expert and a legal luminary, the President can see that the aforesaid affidavits and the stand taken by the Home Ministry on the trifurcation is against the Constitution and flies in the face of various Articles of the Constitution which empower the President / Parliament/Central government to actively participate and decide on issues relating to States reorganisation, establishment and shifting of State capitals, establishment and shifting of High Courts and others. Prof Shastri appealed to the President to kindly look into the matter on utmost priority so that this may not become a constitutional precedent which creates practical difficulties for people and destroy peace and order in Andhra Pradesh in particular and all other States in general.