For years, the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party campaigned for the national capital to be declared a full state, rather than a Unio...
For years, the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party campaigned for the national capital to be declared a full state, rather than a Union Territory with an elected assembly. Since Arvind Kejriwal has taken over as chief minister, that demand has not only been dropped – it has also led to an effort to take power away from Delhi’s elected leadership.
On Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre tabled the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Parliament. The proposed law would significantly expand the powers of the Centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, at the cost of the elected assembly. Among other things, the Bill proposes that the term “government” in the law that underpins the functioning of Delhi refers to the Lieutenant Governor and not the elected leadership.
The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government has criticised the Bill calling it “dangerous”. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that it sought to “drastically curtail powers of the elected government”.
BJP leaders from Delhi had various explanations for the move.
One Member of Legislative Assembly said it had nothing to with granting or revoking full statehood to Delhi. “There is nothing new in this,” claimed Vijendar Gupta, a BJP MLA from Rohini in North West...
