Taking his fight for the Jan Lokpal Bill to the Centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday shot off a letter to Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, seeking the withdrawal of a notification that makes sanction of the Lieutenant Governor a requirement for introducing a Bill in the Delhi Assembly.
The letter comes a day after Mr. Kejriwal wrote to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, asserting that there was “nothing unconstitutional” about the Lokpal Bill in Delhi.
Mr. Kejriwal declared that he would “go to any extent” to get the Bill passed. “Corruption is an extremely important issue and I will go to any extent,” he told PTI.
Asked if he would resign over the issue, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader responded: “That you interpret.”
His party, in the meantime, charged the Congress and the BJP with “collusion,” and said “a political game was being played out” to prevent the Delhi government from bringing a “strong, effective and comprehensive anti-corruption Jan Lokpal in Delhi.”
“When both, the Congress and the BJP, want full statehood for Delhi, then what is the hitch in passing the Bill in this session of Parliament itself?” AAP leader Prashant Bhushan asked.
Full statehood would allow the Delhi government to legislate independently as any other State and give it control over the police, law and order and land, which are, at present, with the Union government.
To bring the Jan Lokpal Bill is “our first priority,” he said, and the party would go to any lengths — even take to the streets — to get the Bill passed.
“The fight against corruption is our priority. The Bill is in line with the original Jan Lokpal Bill that had wide popular approval. By creating hurdles in not even allowing the Bill to be discussed, the Congress and the BJP stand exposed. They had colluded to dilute the original Central Bill mooted by India Against Corruption and are once again together to prevent AAP from bringing the Jan Lokpal in Delhi,” he said.
Mr. Bhushan cited the Constitution to emphasise that “the Delhi Lokpal Bill can be passed even if it is in conflict with any Central legislation and will prevail in Delhi if it subsequently receives the assent of the President.”
