NEW DELHI — Senior Congress MP P Chidambaram on Monday said that the BJP has won the last election in Delhi 25 years ago and has no constitutional authority or moral right to speak for the people of Delhi.
He asked the treasury benches when was the last time that the BJP had won an election in Delhi. “Please remember you have no constitutional authority or moral right to pass this bill,” Chidambaram said while addressing the Rajya Sabha.
“Sheila Dikshit was Delhi’s chief minister for 15 years and she worked with two to three Lieutenant Governors. Not even once did the present arrangement came in the way of Sheila Dikshit’s functioning. Perhaps she was one of the best chief ministers the country has ever witnessed,” he said.
Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had moved the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 or Delhi Services Bill in Rajya Sabha.
Chidambaram said that the bill has no merit. “Aid and advice means the real power is with the council of ministers while the L-G has to exercise formal powers. Just like the real power is with ministers of the government and the formal power is with the President of India.”
On May 19, the Central government brought an ordinance related to the transfer-posting of officers posted in the Delhi government. In the ordinance, the decision of the Supreme Court was overturned, in which the right of transfer-posting of officers was given to the Delhi government. The same bill has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill has already been passed in the Lok Sabha.
Chidambaram said that the people of Delhi are watching and they know that this government is attempting to take away the real power of the elected representatives and put it in the hands of bureaucrats.
“What merit do you find in passing this bill? It is a three member panel where two officers will constitute majority and overrule the chief minister. Is it a merit when two members constitute a quorum and can call a meeting without the chief minister?” the senior Congress asked.
He said that even if a decision is taken unanimously in the meeting, L-G can still over rule it. He asked the government is it merit when the member secretary, who is the principal secretary of the home department, will convene a meeting with or without the Chief Minister.
“Today, we are breaking the constitutional mission by passing this bill. On August 5, 2009 the government divided the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. It has sent shivers down every state. They can also be downgraded any time and broken into union territory.” — IANS
