New Delhi, Mar 17 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday urged the Centre to take back amendment to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) bill, which makes it mandatory for the Delhi government to take the opinion of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) before any executive action in the National Capital.
He made the appeal to the Centre while addressing people gathered at Jantar Mantar here to protest amendment to the (GNCTD) (Amendment) bill.
The Chief Minister asked, ‘In that bill, it is mentioned that now onwards, Delhi government means Lieutenant Governor, then what is our meaning, what AAP stands for, what electorate stand for, where the Chief Minister will go, then why elections were held, Delhiites gave 62 seats out of 70 to AAP. Doesn’t it mean anything?’
‘Second thing in the bill is Delhi government’s every file will go to the LG. In 2018, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench had ruled that the elected government of Delhi has the right to take decisions, but now BJP is going against the Supreme Court and bringing in the amendment. The (BJP) don’t consider Supreme Court, Constitution, electorate and democracy,’ he added.
He alleged that the Centre wants to weaken his government through this bill.
‘In 2015 Delhi assembly election, people chose AAP by electing them on 67 of 70 seats. In 2020, people gave 62 of 70 seats to AAP. In MCD polls, people gave zero seats to BJP. Delhiites are clearly saying that they want AAP not BJP. They are losing elections after elections, but they want power through backdoor,’ the Chief Minister further said.
Mr Kejriwal alleged that if they (BJP) lose any election in the country, they ‘indulge in horse trading of MLAs and topple the government’ in the state.
‘As AAP MLAs are reluctant to getting lured, they want to bring amendment, take charge of power and end people’s government,’ he claimed.
The AAP convenor advised the BJP that if you want vote, do good work as AAP is doing in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fears Mr Kejriwal as the electorate of the National Capital elected him and defeated the saffron party.
The AAP said, ‘For ruling over people of Delhi, the Centre has proposed three amendments in GNCTD Act.
1 Government means LG.
2 LG can say no to laws passed by Legislative Assembly.
3 Before implementing any decision of the Legislative Assembly, LG’s approval has to be taken.’
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister said the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench had ruled that the elected government of Delhi has the right to take decisions, but now BJP is going against the Supreme Court and bringing in the amendment.
AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadha said, ‘BJP’s pain is that it has not been able to form government in Delhi for the past 25 years and the saffron party is convinced that it has lost political hold in Delhi. That is why BJP wants to grab power from back door (chor darwaza).’
In a series of tweets, AAP said, ‘As people of Delhi chose BJP as opposition again in the national Capital, the Modi government wants to take revenge from Delhiites.’
‘There will be no soliciting, now there will be a war, there will be a pledge for people of Delhi,’ it added.
The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy.
