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Lok Sabha passes Centre’s Delhi Amendment Bill giving more power to LG, Centre appeals to not term it ‘political move’

The bill proposes that the term ‘government’ in any law made by the Legislative Assembly will mean the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) whose opinion has to be taken before the Delhi government takes any executive action.

Lok Sabha passes Centre’s Delhi Amendment Bill giving more power to LG, Centre appeals to not term it ‘political move’

(Photo: Twitter/@ArvindKejriwal)

In another setback to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, the Lok Sabha on Monday passed The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which seeks to give more power to the Lieutenant Governor in matters related to the governance of the national capital.

The bill was introduced by the Centre in the Lower House on March 15, three years after a constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled on the dispute between Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G). The Centre said that the bill was brought to end the ambiguity in running the affairs of the Capital and appealed to everyone not to term it a ‘political move.’

The bill proposes that the term ‘government’ in any law made by the Legislative Assembly will mean the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) whose opinion has to be taken before the Delhi government takes any executive action.

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Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal said that this legislation is an ‘insult’ to the people of Delhi.

He tweeted, “Passage of GNCTD amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today is an insult to the people of Delhi. The Bill effectively takes away powers from those who were voted by people and gives powers to run Delhi to those who were defeated. BJP has cheated the people.”

The AAP won 62 of 70 seats in the Delhi elections. BJP won 8 and the Congress won none. The AAP has often accused that the BJP has tried to interfere in the Delhi government’s plans and decisions through the Lieutenant Governor.

In 2018, the SC had held that the L-G must be informed about Delhi cabinet decisions though his concurrence was not needed except in the case of police, public order and land.

The SC had said, “The status of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is not that of a Governor of a State, rather he remains an administrator, in a limited sense, working with the designation of Lieutenant Governor.”

In case of any difference of opinion between the elected government and the L-G, the matter could be referred to the President.

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