Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said, "The judgment is an injustice to the people of Delhi. Such a judgment is against Constitution and democracy." He said his government will seek legal remedies on the issue.
The AAP on Thursday slammed the Supreme Court's verdict, which appears to suggest that the Centre will have the "final word" on the control of administrative services in the national Capital, while the BJP and the Congress lashed out at the AAP for "declaring war on the Supreme Court".
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said, "The judgment is an injustice to the people of Delhi. Such a judgment is against Constitution and democracy." He said his government will seek legal remedies on the issue.
The BJP has lashed out at Kejriwal over his comment on the top court verdict. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra called the Delhi Chief Minister's remark as the "biggest attack" on the Apex Court in India's political history.
"The Delhi Chief Minister has been an anarchist. He attacked institutions like the Election Commission and the Army in the past. Now, he has not spared the Supreme Court either," Patra said.
Kejriwal, who has been repeatedly accusing the Centre of creating hurdles in the works of the Delhi government, termed the verdict "unfortunate" and said it is "ironic" that a Chief Minister can't have the power to transfer officers or appoint even a peon in his office.
"We have been suffering for the last four years. For every work and for getting each file cleared, if the Delhi Chief Minister and his ministers have to hold protests and sit on hunger strike at the LG house, how will the Delhi government function," Kejriwal said. "What sort of democracy is this?" he asked.
Calling Kejriwal's language against the Supreme Court "appalling", Patra also took strong exception to the AAP chief's claim against the backdrop of the judgment that "people hold the key". The BJP spokesperson accused the AAP convenor of "instigating his party cadre" to "attack the Apex Court" for "upholding" the Constitution.
Nalin Kohli, another BJP spokesperson and Supreme Court lawyer, said the verdict makes it clear that the Kejriwal government was trying to "usurp" the Centre's power as it has turned down its plea seeking control over the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and posting of senior officials.
Meanwhile, the Congress has said that Delhi being a Union Territory does not enjoy "unlimited powers" and the AAP government should resolve its differences with authorities instead of fighting with them.
"Delhi is a Union Territory and the Constitution specifies its powers. It does not have unlimited powers. The office of the Lieutenant Governor, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of India also look after several things. If the Delhi government want to change this situation, they should approach the Centre explaining difficulties faced by them. It cannot be rectified through fights," said Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee and former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
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