Kejriwal vs Jung | AAP government passes resolution against MHA's notification

The Delhi government ended its two day 'emergency' assembly session with the Delhi assembly passing a resolution against the union home ministry's notification that gave control over services and top bureaucratic appointments to the Lieutenant Governor. In a speech that was more of a battle cry, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal called this a fight for the rights of Delhi's government and its people.

The resolution was moved after certain amendments by AAP MLAs Madan Lal, Kailash Gehlot and Kapil Mishra. This added to the original resolution, moved by MLA Somnath Bharti, a recommendation to the Government by the house to "bring a legislation for creation of a NCT Public Service".

The amendments took into consideration that "essential services have been deteriorating since the issue of the notification, as this notification has brought confusion in the minds of the officers and employees of the Government." Hence the house directs the Council of Ministers to continue allocating the work to its officers and employees."

Kejriwal called the MHA notification part of a conspiracy against the Delhi Government, engineered by the BJP-led Central government through the Delhi Police and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. "If BJP's Kiran Bedi had been the CM, the L-G would not have dared interfere in her work," said Kejriwal, adding that the L-G was dancing to the Centre's tune else he would be removed immediately.

Kejriwal said that since the AAP government took charge, they have faced a steady supply of obstacles put in place by the Centre. Giving examples, Kejriwal brought up instances where the L-G had cancelled his order of an enquiry into a rape case, rendered null and void three appointment orders in one go, bypassed the CM and the Council of Ministers when appointing Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary despite the latter's efforts to communicate with him. He said that all this was an effort by the Centre to stop the work that the AAP government was doing.

"They are scared because we have stopped the transfer-posting industry, we have stopped corruption, so they want to fail us," said Kejriwal, implying it was the loss of money through corrupt means that was bothering those behind the MHA notification.

"They want to put officers in different department who will also only listen to the Centre to stop work from happening. Then they can blame the AAP government," he said, adding that since the Delhi government was accountable to its voters to work for them, it should have the right to appoint officers in its team.

Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also made it a point to show they understood the dilemma bureaucrats were in. Both exhorted the bureaucracy and government employees to keep working without fear of reprisal from the Centre. "We stand by you," said Kejriwal, "and the Centre dare not penalise or trouble you."

He emphasised that they had only asked for their constitutional right by demanding control over services. They had not asked for control over land, the police or public order. Kejriwal said that by trying to take away services from the Delhi government the MHA had insulted the Parliament, as only the Parliament could amend the Constitution. "This Delhi experiment will soon be repeated in all states. They're trying to take us towards a dictatorship. All CMs must unite and fight the Centre," said Kejriwal.

While the other AAP MLAs who spoke largely repeated points from Tuesday's session in a similarly scripted speeches, Leader of Opposition BJP MLA Vijendra Gupta charged Kejriwal of being a dictator. Fighting with the Speaker, an angry Ram Niwas Goel, Gupta countered the Assembly resolution saying that the government of NCT could not have its own Public Services as it belonged to the Union Territory cadre, and this entire Assembly session was a waste of time.