New Delhi: A day after the Central government brought an ordinance to negate Supreme Court judgment granting control over 'services' to the Delhi government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he could not tolerate the fact that the top court 'empowered Arvind Kejriwal'.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Atishi said, "This ordinance of the Modi government is going to murder democracy and the Constitution. The power that the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court gave to the elected government, this is an attempt to snatch its power in an unconstitutional manner."
She pointed out that the top court in its judgement has said that Delhi government has power on the basis of three constitutional principles -- Federal Structure: The power of a government cannot be taken away on the basis of Federal Structure of Constitution, second Delhi government has power on the basis of democracy principle and third it is a constitutional principle that officers should be accountable to the elected government.
She said, "The Supreme Court order meant that if the people of Delhi elected Arvind Kejriwal, the decision-making power lies with him."
Referring to the Constitution, she said that it is what the Constitution says.
"Barring the issues of land, law and order and police, all decision-making powers are with Arvind Kejriwal and the Lt Governor is bound to accept all his decisions. This is democracy. But the Central government and the BJP couldn't tolerate it. PM Narendra Modi couldn't tolerate the fact that Supreme Court empowered Kejriwal," she said.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also addressed a press conference at the party headquarters and targeted the BJP saying that the popular Chief Minister of Delhi was elected by the people of the national capital not once but thrice with a thumping majority.
"PM Modi is so scared of chief minister that he has only one aim left and that is to not allow him to do any work for the people of Delhi, even if he has to bring an ordinance against the judgment of SC," Singh said.
Singh targeted the central government and said, "This is an emergency. When the Supreme Court's decision came, Kejriwal had said that the Prime Minister has to play the role of a father. He is such a father who is trying to strangle the democracy-constitution of his children. PM Modi does not believe in the Constitution, and only wants to run dictatorship."
The Central government has brought an ordinance to set up a permanent authority known as the National Capital Civil Service Authority whose chairperson will be Delhi chief minister along with chief secretary, Delhi, Principal Secretary (Home), Delhi to make recommendations to the Delhi LG regarding matters concerning transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters. However, in case of difference of opinion, the decision of the LG shall be final.
On May 11, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled that it is ideal to hold that a democratically elected Delhi government should have control over its officers and the LG is bound by the advice of the elected government in everything other than public order, police, and land. IANS