Centre trying to govern Delhi through ‘backdoor’: Sisodia
■ Says more power handed to L-G ‘secretively’
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, on Thursday, accused the Centre of trying to govern the national capital through the “backdoor,” claiming the Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to give more powers to the lieutenant-governor (L-G) ‘secretively’.
Reacting to media reports saying the Centre, on Wednesday, approved amendments to the government of NCT of Delhi Act, the AAP leader told a press conference that the move is “against democracy, Constitution, and the will of the citizens of Delhi.”
“The Central government has passed a law in the Cabinet to snatch the power of Delhi’s elected government and give it to the Centre-appointed lieutenant-governor. The Delhi government will not have the power to take its own decisions. BJP wants to govern Delhi through the backdoor as people chose not to elect it in three consecutive elections,” he claimed.
Mr Sisodia, on Thursday, said that the BJP government at the Centre has secretly worked to get the GNCTD (Amendment) Bill cleared, subverting the mandate of a democratically elected government.
Terming the bill as the murder of constitutional democracy, Mr Sisodia said that the Central government wants to impede Delhi’s development and progress by enhancing the L-G’s power. He further said that the bill goes against the grain of the Constitution, gives more powers to the L-G in addition to the existing powers on the police, land, and public order.
He said that the bill gives unlimited powers to the LG, subverting the mandate of a democratically elected government.
In a press conference, the deputy CM said, “It is clearly mentioned in our Constitution that barring the police, land, and public order, everything else falls under the ambit of an elected government in Delhi. In its reading of the Constitution, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has also clearly distinguished the powers of the elected government and the L-G. But BJP, which has faced defeat thrice in the past, wants to govern Delhi through proxy.” He said, “The L-G will use this act to unnecessarily intervene in the matters of public interest and impede the progress of Delhi. In the last five years, the L-G has invariably hindered the decisions made by the Delhi government. Due to this, many progressive schemes such as mohalla clinic, CCTV, free electricity and water, school infrastructure improvement, and others have been delayed, the cost of which is borne by the people of Delhi.”
Mr Sisodia added, “BJP doesn’t want world class education and health facilities and free electricity and water for the people of Delhi. Hence, it is using secretive and unconstitutional ways to impede the progress of Delhi. BJP hasn’t been able to provide basic facilities to the public in BJP-ruled states. Rather than working on the development in other states, it is trying to deprive the people of Delhi by giving unlimited powers to the L-G in such an undemocratic manner.”
Reacting to media reports saying the Centre approved amendments to the government of NCT of Delhi Act, the AAP leader told a press conference that the move is ‘against democracy, Constitution, and the will of the citizens of Delhi.’