UPA's approach on Centre-state ties 'authoritarian': LK Advani

NEW DELHI: Slamming the UPA government for its "authoritarian" approach towards states, BJP veteran L K Advani today said all those who believe in strong Centre-state relations should come together on it even as he praised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for highlighting the issue.

"Making states strong does not lead to making the Centre weak. We need a strong Centre, but the Centre cannot become strong unless the states become strong," Advani wrote in his latest blog posting.

He said Jayalalithaa had flagged the issue during a recent meeting of the National Development Council where she maintained that she was not sure whether "the Government of India recognises the states as partners, leave alone equal partners, and respects their viewpoint."

The BJP leader said the "same high-handed and authoritarian approach was also seen when it sought to impose its own version of the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill on states."

He said this was opposed by BJP, its NDA and also by AIADMK and even key UPA partner Trinamool Congress.

"The moot point is that Congress has learnt no lesson from the past. It still deludes itself by thinking that it alone has the right to govern India," he said, adding, "All those who believe in democracy and healthy Centre-State relations must come together to defeat this arrogant mindset."

Attacking the Centre, Advani also used the opportunity to term Jayalalithaa's AIADMK as BJP's natural ally.

He said though AIADMK is not formally a part of the National Democratic Alliance, the informal floor coordination with the party in Parliament has been growing.

Advani recalled that he had thanked the Tamil Nadu government for averting a bomb threat to his Jan Chetna yatra when it was passing through Madurai region.