The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
UK now, Delhi next: CM promises referendum
DEMAND FOR FULL STATEHOOD
BUOYED BY the Brexit referendum and United Kingdom voting to opt out of the European Union, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday took to Twitter to announce that a similar referendum in the national capital — on the issue of full statehood — will take place soon.
“After UK referendum, Delhi will soon have a referendum on full statehood,” Kejriwal tweeted.
The AAP government has repeatedly raised the demand for full statehood and feuded with the Centre over the control of Delhi Police, among other issues.
Over a month ago, the AAP government had presented a draft bill on the issue and invited suggestions about it.
Voicing similar views, Delhi Dialogue Commission vicechairperson Ashish Khetan also tweeted, “After the UK referendum on EU exit, it’s time to have a referendum on full statehood of Delhi. In a democracy, the will of the ppl is supreme.”
A senior official of the Delhi government said the issue had been “under discussion” for a while. “The first step was to put out the draft bill for statehood, which we did about a month or two ago. We have been asking for comments to revise the bill... we will put it out there for a referendum,” said the official.
While maintaining that no deadline has been set for such a referendum, the official said it was likely to take place in the next few months.
A resolution, proposing that the Centre introduce the statehood Bill, will be moved in the Delhi Assembly, said sources.
In 2015, the AAP’S plan of holding a referendum on the issue had been shelved after it was termed “unconstitutional”.
Asked about Kejriwal’s tweet about holding a referendum on full statehood for Delhi, Minister of State in the Home Ministry Kiren Rijiju said the AAP government appeared to have been “swayed” by the Brexit referendum.
Reacting to Rijiju’s comments, Khetan tweeted, “Either Rijiju & Maken r not learned enough to comprehend full statehood issue or they deliberately want to defeat the interests of Delhites.”