“Will not let Delhi’s work stop”: Arvind Kejriwal pledges in Delhi Assembly
Aug 18, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 18 : Asserting that the Supreme Court's order on the Delhi government plea, challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre's Ordinance over control of bureaucrats, will be in his favour, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that till the top court's order, even a single work of people will not stop.
Kejriwal was speaking in the Delhi Legislative Assembly session, which commenced on Wednesday, the first after the enactment of the GNCTD (Amendment) Act 2023 on the control of services in the national capital.
"Today I want to tell the people of Delhi that I will not let a single work of yours stop. Speed may decrease. But, I have full hope that with the Supreme Court order, we will win. I will get back the rights of the people of Delhi, and after that work will be done at a higher speed, but till then your work will not stop," the Chief Minister said.
On May 11, the Supreme Court ruled that the division of administrative powers between the Union and Delhi government "must be respected" and held that the Delhi government has "legislative and executive power over services" in the national capital, including the bureaucrats, except those relating to public order, police and land.
The Centre then on May 19 promulgated the Ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of IAS and DANICS officers in Delhi. This was later brought in the form of a bill in Parliament and became a law when the Rajya Sabha passed the bill on the 7th of August after Lok Sabha had earlier passed the bill.
Speaking in the assembly on the new law Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Central government passed an Ordinance on May 19 and overruled the apex court's verdict, which was in our favour after eight years of struggle.
"After eight years of struggle, finally the Supreme Court's order came on May 11, 2023. The biggest judges of the top court sat and heard for three weeks. And after hearing for three weeks, they ordered that our country is a democracy and in a democracy...only the elected government will have power over the bureaucracy, and not the Centre or the LG," Kejriwal said.
Taking a dig at the BJP Kejriwal claimed that the BJP would lose all 7 seats in Delhi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “In the upcoming 2024 elections BJP will lose all 7 seats. These elections will be fought on the issue of full statehood for Delhi”.
