Arvind Kejriwal to Hit Streets Again, This Time to Protest Against Centre’s Move to Give More Powers to LG

AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to hit the streets again, this time to protest against the central government’s move to amend the GNCT Delhi Act. Yesterday, Kejriwal had hit out against the central government after Minister of State for Home Affairs G Krishna Reddy introduced the amendments in Parliament. Incidentally, this is the second issue after the farmers’ protest where the Chief Minister would be hitting the streets.

“After losing the Assembly elections badly in Delhi, scoring a zero in MCD by-elections and the growing popularity of the AAP from Delhi to Gujarat, the BJP once again is hatching a conspiracy by overturning the verdict of the Constitution Bench through the backdoor and once again has surged ahead in its conspiracy to halt the development in Delhi by weakening the elected government,” said AAP’s Delhi Convener and Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai.

The Minister recalled the days of intense tussle between the elected government and the lieutenant governor’s office especially between 2015 and 2018 when the Supreme Court gave its landmark verdict clarifying the powers vested on each.

“When the AAP government had started working, the MHA had issued an order and to slow down the pace of work of the government, all powers were given to the LG, all files of Delhi government were stored in the LG house by the central government, the Shunglu committee was formed, there was unnecessary delay in work being done,” Rai said.

The Minister underlined that the proposal to build mohalla clinics in Delhi was delayed by years, the LG house did not move on files relating to CCTV cameras following which Rai, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Satyendra Jain, and CM Arvind Kejriwal had to stage an indefinite sit in protest in the LG house to get the file cleared.

Gopal Rai clearly said that there is a fresh attempt to create a similar situation again by introducing the amendments in Parliament.

According to Gopal Rai, the reasons for such a move by the central government were due to the growing popularity of the AAP and the challenge that it posed to the BJP.

“The Delhi government has presented a ‘deshbhakti’ budget after a year of coronavirus pandemic, many new policies have been made which have to be implemented, the decision to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence in a grand scale, hoisting the tricolour in 500 locations in Delhi, introduction of ‘deshbhakti’ curriculum, the government has announced many decisions in the budget but for all those to be implemented, now the Lieutenant Governor’s ‘meherbani’ would be needed,” Rai pointed out, underlining the vulnerability of the elected government when it comes to implementing its own decisions.

The party has decided to protest against the central government’s undemocratic and backdoor attempts to control Delhi yet again on the streets.

On Wednesday, AAP’s cadre, councillors, MLAs, ministers, MPs will participate in the protest at Jantar Mantar which would also see the presence of Kejriwal, informed Gopal Rai.

Rai said that the AAP is in touch with all opposition leaders on this issue, adding that this is not just a matter pertaining to Delhi but revealed moves to ‘finish democracy’.