SC declines urgent hearing over Delhi govt’s plea on GNCTD Act

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea by the Delhi government to urgently hear its challenge to the new law for the National Capital Territory (NCT) that gives primacy to the Lieutenant Governor in several executive and legislative matters.

“Yesterday also Delhi government was mentioning a matter for urgent listing. Today also it is happening. Do we have to hear the Delhi government every day? We will see,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana told senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented the Delhi government. Singhvi tried to persuade the bench that the CJI on September 13 entertained his plea to list the case, but the matter has still not come up for hearing.

“This is the petition on the Government of National Capital Territory (Amendment) Act, 2021, (or GNCT Act) which is contrary to the constitution bench judgement of the Supreme Court. We are saying it is against Article 239A (which deals with the status of Delhi) under the Constitution,” submitted Singhvi.

Justice Ramana, however, did not accept the request to specify a hearing date.

A day ago, the Delhi government sought a hearing of its plea to settle the contentious issue of who should control administrative services and bureaucrats in Delhi after the split verdict of two judges in February 2019. The CJI agreed to list this matter after the Diwali break.

Earlier, on September 13, Singhvi mentioned the petition regarding the 2021 GNCT Act, arguing that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s plea should be listed urgently, as it was cleared by the apex court’s registry on August 19.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed the GNCT Amendment Act in March. After the Parliament approved the bill, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal termed it a “sad day for Indian democracy”.