The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government released a draft Bill seeking full Statehood for the Capital on Wednesday.
Available on the Delhi government website, citizens can review and suggest amendments till the end of June through emails to “fullstatehood.delhi@gov.in” and “fullstatehood.delhi@gmail.com” following which it will be sent to the Centre for its nod, Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal said.
Extension of jurisdiction
Released by Mr. Kejriwal with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by his side at the Delhi Secretariat, the State of Delhi Bill, 2016, motions for the extension of jurisdiction of the elected government of the Capital over police, land, municipal corporations and bureaucracy.
Areas demarcated under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board would, however, remain beyond the legislative and administrative control of the proposed Delhi State.
The draft bill seeks the replacement of the term ‘Lieutenant Governor’ with ‘Governor’ in a significant shift in terms of administrative nomenclature.
The Governor of State of Delhi would act “on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers as provided in Article 163 of the Constitution”, as per the draft.
It also advocates the creation of a separate official cadre for the State of Delhi as well as renaming the High Court for the existing National Capital Territory the “High Court of Delhi”
Mr. Kejriwal, who termed the Bill a culmination of the aspirations of multiple governments in Delhi, which has had both the BJP and the Congress at its helm, urged his political opponents to “rise above differences” and participate in an all party meet on the issue
The BJP-led Centre, however, termed the document “unconstitutional”.
Meanwhile, the Congress said he was raking up the issue to “divert the attention of the people from his failures.”
“The draft has been put on the Delhi government’s website. Through its passage, we seek to fulfill the dreams of Congress and BJP. We should rise above party lines. A special session of the Assembly may also be called for passing the resolution,” the Chief Minister said.
“BJP has struggled the most on the issue. They have consistently raised it. We are merely taking their resolve forward by inviting public opinion on this draft,” Mr. Kejriwal said, before quoting from BJP manifestos from 1993 till 2014 and statements made by its leaders including L.K. Advani and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju.
BJP, Cong oppose move
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly and BJP legislator Vijendra Gupta termed the bill “mischievous and unacceptable”.
“Only Parliament is empowered to prepare, adopt and pass the Delhi Statehood Bill as enshrined in the Constitution of India. Delhi Legislative Assembly is not empowered to prepare and adopt the Bill as it is a Constitutional one,” he said.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said Mr. Kejriwal had once again raked up the statehood issue to divert people’s attention from the “dismal performance of the Aam Aadmi Party in the MCD by-polls”.
Kejriwal urges
BJP and Congress to 'rise above differences' and meet on the issue
