Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will prefer to quit rather than stay in power if the Delhi Jan Lokpal and the Swaraj Bills are not passed in the Assembly. Both Bills are slated to be tabled on February 13.
“We are here to remove corruption and establish Swaraj (decentralisation of power), not to remain in power. If we are unable to legislate on these issues, I will give up the CM’s chair and do it 100 times over. We will go back to the people,” Mr. Kejriwal told journalists here.
He later called on social activist Anna Hazare and discussed the issue with him. This is the second day in a row that Mr. Kejriwal has met Mr. Hazare, who is on a visit to Delhi.
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The Bills, embroiled in a legal battle on whether they require the Centre’s sanction to be tabled, do not have the support of the Congress party.
Mr. Kejriwal maintained that enacting the anti-graft and Swaraj legislations were amongst the 18 points that he declared for any party to support AAP. Eight Congress MLAs are providing outside support to the minority AAP government.
The Chief Minister’s assertions came a day after he wrote to the Home Minister seeking withdrawal of a notification making the Lt. Governor’s sanction a must for introducing a Bill in the Assembly.
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The Home Ministry is reported to have sought legal opinion on the letter.