Assembly adopts resolution, asks MHA to draft fresh bill

NEW DELHI:The Assembly today adopted a resolution demanding “full statehood” for Delhi and requesting the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to consider it and draft a fresh bill on the same in consultation with the AAP government.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 11

The Assembly today adopted a resolution demanding “full statehood” for Delhi and requesting the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to consider it and draft a fresh bill on the same in consultation with the AAP government.

The ruling side blamed the successive governments of Delhi and the Centre for “ignoring” the matter for long before the House, which has a huge majority of the AAP, passed the resolution on the last day of the session which also saw opposition leaders Vijender Gupta and Manjinder Singh Sirsa being marshalled out over their “stop work” notice demanding a clarification from the Kejriwal government on the Lokpal Bill.

In his address in the House, Arvind Kejriwal recalled Delhi’s history and people who have ruled the city. In course he also mentioned the names of LG Anil Baijal and his predecessor Najeeb Jung saying that Jung ruled over Delhi between 2013-2016 and thereafter Baijal is ruling.

“The country got freedom, but Delhi remains to be ruled by the LG,” stated Kejriwal while going on to assure 100 new colleges, jobs and house for everyone in the capital once it becomes a full-fledged state.

Kejriwal sought to know from the Prime Minister whether his promise of granting full statehood to Delhi was just a “jumla” as all other promises the BJP made before elections. The people of Delhi would replace the “LG rule with people’s rule”, he said.

“People of Delhi can no longer be kept at the mercy of a Central government appointed LG, who has no accountability towards the public and enjoys absolute power,” stated the resolution.

This House opined that now almost 16 years have passed since the previous Delhi statehood bill was presented in Parliament in 2003 and there were some shortcomings in that bill, therefore the MHA must consult the elected government to be on the same page about the fresh draft bill.

The NDMC area, which is governed by the NDMC Act, be kept under the exclusive control of the Central government, and the rest of NCT of Delhi be declared a full-fledged state through a Constitutional amendment bill, the House further resolved.