AAP MP says Delhi services bill ‘political fraud’, taunts Shah for invoking Nehru: ‘Be Adavani-vadi’
Rajya Sabha: AAP MP opposes Delhi services bill, calling it a "political fraud" and "constitutional sin". BJP accused of backtracking on promise.
Alleging that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has turned its back on the promise of granting statehood to Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Monday opposed the contentious Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023. During the spirited debate in Rajya Sabha, Chadha said the bill to replace the ordinance on transfers and postings of senior officers in the Delhi government is a “political fraud, constitutional sin and will create an administrative logjam”.
Chadha said that the BJP had been demanding statehood for Delhi for almost 40 years and promised the same in its election manifesto. The AAP leader said that the BJP has destroyed the 40 years of hard work of its leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishan Advani to make Delhi a full state.
Taking potshots at Union home minister Amit Shah invoking first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to back the bill, Chadha said the BJP leader should become ‘Adavanivadi’ and not ‘Nehruvadi’.
Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi opposed the legislation saying it is a "retrogressive bill" that is "completely unconstitutional".
He also said it is a "frontal assault on the people of Delhi and violates federalism".
Delhi services bill passed in Lok Sabha
The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by Lok Sabha last Thursday amid a walkout by opposition parties. During the debate, Shah launched a scathing attack on the opposition parties for joining hands against the central government's move to bring the bill, and predicted that once the bill is passed, the opposition alliance will collapse.
"Today India is witnessing the double standards of the opposition. Bills of public interest are not important for them. All of them have gathered today so that a small party does not run away from their alliance."
Shah also invoked first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Congress leaders Sardar Patel, C Rajagopalchari and Rajendra Prasad, contending that these leaders too had opposed the proposal for granting full statehood to Delhi.
