Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta on Thursday demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government call a special session over the issue of Department-Related Standing Committees (DRSCs).
Mr. Gupta asked the State government to immediately call a special session of the Assembly and apprise its members of Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal’s view of the said committees.
Unconstitutional powers
“As per media reports, the Office of the L-G has conveyed to Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi in a letter that these committees have been given unconstitutional powers. It has been further reported that the L-G has said that these committees must be withdrawn. The Opposition will shortly meet the L-G and further press for calling a special session of the Assembly so that his message could be conveyed without loss of time,” Mr. Gupta said.
The legal position as conveyed by the L-G, Mr. Gupta argued, makes it mandatory for the Delhi government to settle the issues of the committees as per constitutional provisions.
“The Opposition had met the President (Ram Nath Kovind) on September 9 and drew his attention to the opinion of the Additional Solicitor General of India. The Opposition had requested him to intervene in the matter and advise the authorities concerned to settle the matter as per the constitutional provisions,” added Mr. Gupta.
The L-G, according to the BJP leader, had the right to send messages to the Assembly under Section 9 (2) of the Government of NCT of Delhi Act, 1991. The rule further stipulates that when a message is so sent, the Assembly shall with all convenient dispatch consider any matter required by the message to be taken into consideration.
