Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Amid an Opposition walkout, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Delhi Services Bill (The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after four-hour-long fiery exchanges between the Opposition and the treasury benches.
As Speaker Om Birla put the Bill to vote, the Opposition walked out. The controversial bill will replace an ordinance by the Centre to restore the Lieutenant Governor’s control over the transfer and postings of bureaucrats in Delhi.
Initiating the discussion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that Parliament has the power to make laws for the national capital. In a broadside on the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, he said that AAP wanted to control the vigilance department to hide corruption and build bungalows.
“The Opposition’s priority is to save their alliance. They are not worried about Manipur. Delhi is not a state but a Union Territory… Parliament has the right to make laws for Delhi,” he said. Opposing the Bill, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the bill was an attack on India’s federal structure. “The Centre came up with an ordinance six days after the Supreme Court ruling. What was the hurry? The government will replicate this model in other states and UTs,” Chowdhury said.
NCP’s Supriya Sule accused the BJP of double standards for promising full statehood for Delhi in every election. “Were you lying about it? The BJP government broke J&K into three UTs. Even after four years, no election has been held in the state,” she said.
Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor and Karti Chidambaram said the Bill was an assault on democratic heritage. “When a no-confidence motion is pending, how can you bring such a substantive policy change,” asked Tharoor. DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran said, “BJP’s allies are the ED, CBI and other agencies. Delhi has an elected government and BJP cannot digest it. They went to the SC for the ED director’s extension. The Enforcement Directorate is their winning formula,” he said.
NEW DELHI: Amid an Opposition walkout, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Delhi Services Bill (The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after four-hour-long fiery exchanges between the Opposition and the treasury benches.
As Speaker Om Birla put the Bill to vote, the Opposition walked out. The controversial bill will replace an ordinance by the Centre to restore the Lieutenant Governor’s control over the transfer and postings of bureaucrats in Delhi.
Initiating the discussion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that Parliament has the power to make laws for the national capital. In a broadside on the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, he said that AAP wanted to control the vigilance department to hide corruption and build bungalows.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“The Opposition’s priority is to save their alliance. They are not worried about Manipur. Delhi is not a state but a Union Territory… Parliament has the right to make laws for Delhi,” he said. Opposing the Bill, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the bill was an attack on India’s federal structure. “The Centre came up with an ordinance six days after the Supreme Court ruling. What was the hurry? The government will replicate this model in other states and UTs,” Chowdhury said.
NCP’s Supriya Sule accused the BJP of double standards for promising full statehood for Delhi in every election. “Were you lying about it? The BJP government broke J&K into three UTs. Even after four years, no election has been held in the state,” she said.
Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor and Karti Chidambaram said the Bill was an assault on democratic heritage. “When a no-confidence motion is pending, how can you bring such a substantive policy change,” asked Tharoor. DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran said, “BJP’s allies are the ED, CBI and other agencies. Delhi has an elected government and BJP cannot digest it. They went to the SC for the ED director’s extension. The Enforcement Directorate is their winning formula,” he said.
