“I stand with the people of Lakshadweep,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday, 26 May, joining in with others who are voicing their protest against the administrator of the Union Territory, Praful Khoda Patel.
A former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Patel served as the Home Minister of Gujarat under Narendra Modi when the latter was the Chief Minister in 2010. He was appointed as Lakshadweep administrator on 5 December 2020.
After days of students’ organisations and political parties protesting against Patel’s “anti-people” and “authoritarian” policies, Opposition leaders have also started commenting on the crisis.
The various reasons contributing to locals in Lakshadweep demanding for a recall of Patel, can be read in detail here.
Lakshadweep MP Mohammad Faizal told ANI, “Praful Khoda Patel is implementing all the anti-people rules and regulations. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister should listen to the outcry of local people and send in a new administrator. This is the demand of local people of Lakshadweep.”
Opposition Leaders Slam Patel
Amongst Opposition leaders who have rallied against what is happening in Lakshadweep is Priyanka Gandhi.
She wrote on Twitter, “How can someone who knows nothing about their heritage be allowed to use his power to destroy it? I extend my full support to the people of Lakshadweep. I will always stand by you and fight for your right to protect your heritage. It is a national treasure that we all cherish.”
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote, “News reports from Lakshwadeep are quite serious. Challenges imposed on their lives, livelihoods, and culture cannot be accepted. Kerala has a strong relationship, a long history of cooperation with LD. Unequivocally condemn devious efforts to thwart it. Perpetrators should desist.”
In a letter to the President, Congress leader Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal urged him to intervene "urgently in this matter".
Congress MP from Kerala’s Ernakulam, Hibi Eden, tweeted, “The new administrator of Lakshwadeep is playing with fire . New laws w/out consultation with the locals will impact their livelihood and fishing activities. Development for the administrator is vesting powers of an elected body and framing anti people laws.”
BJP Split Over Issue
The Opposition is not the only one slamming Patel for his policies. Some leaders in the UT’s BJP unit have also quit in protest. Party General Secretary Mohammad Kasim has termed him “authoritarian”, adding that proposals are not in the interest of the island’s residents, reported The Indian Express.
According to Hindustan Times, Kasim said that people’s grievances were genuine, and they had not been taken into confidence before such changes were announced.
“It is always good to seek the opinion of people and their elected representatives before taking decisions. I have written to both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, about this,” Kasim said, according to the report.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he further alleged that Patel was running Lakshadweep “like a king” and that his actions would “pour water over the party unit’s efforts”.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and BJP.)
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