AAP govt pushes for full statehood, BJP opposes

NEWDELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Wednesday reiterated its demand of full statehood for the city by stating that multiplicity of authorities was stopping Delhi from developing into a ‘world-class’ city.

Upping the ante against the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) and the NDA government, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said appointment of an anti-corruption ombudsman and introduction of decentralised governance had failed to take off because of “interference”.

Tabling a resolution seeking full statehood for the city in the Delhi Assembly, Sisodia said Delhiites are getting only “partial citizenship” while those living in neighbouring Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Noida are able to make the leaders work done for them in exchange of their votes.

“Bringing a Jan Lokpal Bill was a key demand of the AAP when we fought Assembly elections in 2013 and 2015. More than three years have passed since we came to power, but Delhi still does not have a Jan Lokpal because the file keeps going back and forth between the Centre and the Delhi government,” the deputy chief minister said on the first day of Delhi Assembly’s special session.

Sisodia also talked about AAP’S promise of Swaraj under which it has promised to conduct Mohalla Sabhas so people could have a say . “The L-G created hurdles in this project. Same was the fate of mohalla clinics. Against our target of 1,000 clinics, only 164 are operational as first the L-G delayed the project and now we are not getting land from different agencies. If Delhi was a state, there would have been no need of sending files to the L-G,” he said.

The minister’s views were countered by BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa who alleged that the AAP government is raking up the issue to hide its failures as elections are approaching.