Will knock SC door if NCT bill sails through Rajya Sabha: AAP

By Ashoke Raj
New Delhi [India], March 24 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Narain Dass Gupta said on Wednesday said the party will approach the Supreme Court if the Upper House passes the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
"If the GNCT Amendment Bill 2021 is passed by the Rajya Sabha today, we will go to the Supreme Court because we don't have any other option," Gupta told ANI.
Reacting to the Centre's allegations that the AAP government is not implementing Delhi's policy for the citizens, Gupta said the Central government has always hindered the policies of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
"The AAP government is hugely popular in Delhi and it's the Central government which doesn't allow Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to do work extensively for the people of Delhi," the AAP MP said.
The GNCT amendment bill 2021 is expected to be discussed today in Rajya Sabha after which voting will take place.
AAP lawmakers have dubbed the bill as "unconstitutional" and have been huddling for gathering support for opposing the bill.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the bill must not be allowed to be presented in House and added BJP want to remove the Arvind Kejriwal government.
"The Central government is liable to bring a Constitutional Amendment Bill in House before making any amendment to the constitution. I gave a notice in Rajya Sabha yesterday that this (GNCTD Amendment) Bill is unconstitutional and mustn't be allowed to be presented in House," Singh said.
"They (BJP) have been losing for 23 years and now want to remove a government (AAP) that has consistently worked for people of Delhi and has also been winning by a majority. All political parties are opposing this Bill because this can happen to anyone tomorrow," he added.
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties agree that the bill should be sent to the select committee for further discussion.
The bill, which was introduced in the Parliament last week -- three years after a constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled on the dispute between Delhi's ruling AAP government and the Lieutenant Governor, was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The bill, which entails that the term "government" referred to in any law made by the legislative assembly will imply Lieutenant Governor, seeks to amend the National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill in Lok Sabha stated that the bill seeks to clarify the expression "Government", which in the context of legislation to be passed by the Legislative Assembly of Delhi, shall mean the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, consistent with the status of Delhi as a Union territory to address the ambiguities in the interpretation of the legislative provisions. (ANI)