New Delhi: The AAP said on Tuesday that the Government Of National Capital Territory Of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (GNCTD) will turn democracy into ‘babucracy’.
Hitting out at the central government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha while speaking to media in Parliament, said, “This Bill will turn the democracy into ‘babucracy’. The GNCTD is even worse than the previous ordinance and more against our democracy, the constitution, and the people of Delhi.”
Dubbing the Delhi Services Bill the most “undemocratic, illegal piece of paper” that has ever been tabled in Parliament, Chadha said that this Bill essentially snatches all powers from the elected government of Delhi and hands them over to the Lieutenant Governor and ‘babus’.
“This Bill will replace democracy in Delhi with ‘babucracy’ and has given overriding powers to the bureaucracy and to the Lieutenant Governor,” Chadha said.
He further said that no power will be left with the elected government, which is an affront to the two crore people of Delhi, who elected the Arvind Kejriwal government with a huge and historic majority.
“The Bill that has been brought to replace the ordinance in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha is even worse than the ordinance itself and is an attack on our judiciary, which ruled in favour of the elected government. This is an assault on India’s federal structure, democracy, and constitution. All members of the INDIA Bloc will oppose this Bill,” Chadha said.
This Bill seeks to replace an ordinance that mandated the creation of an authority for transfers and postings of senior officers in the Delhi government.
Chadha also highlighted the BJP’s political motivations for targeting the Delhi government.
“The BJP has constantly failed to form a government in Delhi and in the last 25 years, all six chief ministers of Delhi were non-BJP. The BJP has become politically irrelevant in Delhi, leading to their desperate attempt to wrest power from the AAP and render the Delhi government ineffective through this Bill,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.
He added that the BJP was unable to digest the success of Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party and wanted to stop them at any cost.
Chadha also pointed out that if this Bill is passed then the officers can refuse to implement a decision taken by the cabinet of the Delhi government.
“The officers will give an audit of every minister’s decision. All the chairpersons of boards and commissions will be appointed by the Lt. Governor. The Chairpersons of the Electricity Board and Jal Board will be decided by the Lt. Governor, so they will decide if the people of Delhi are going to get free water and electricity or not. The bureaucracy as well as the Lt. Governor can override the decisions of the Delhi government and ministers,” he added.
Chadha said, “I’m very hopeful. This is a fight between ‘Satya’ and ‘Asatya’, ‘Dharma’ and ‘Adharma’, where Dharma and Satya are with us and what the BJP is doing is Adharma. I hope that Dharma stands victorious. It is my core belief that many MPs who sit on the Treasury benches will also rise to the occasion and come forward to protect India’s Constitution, the very same Constitution whose oath they have taken to become members of this House.”
The Monsoon Session of Parliament has been stormy so far as the Opposition from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have been demanding for a detailed statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in both Houses of Parliament over Manipur violence and also a detailed discussion on the situation in the northeastern state.
Ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 and hundreds of people have died while thousands have been forced to take refuge in the relief camps.
(IANS)
