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Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 14
Amid the talks of pre-poll alliances among the non-BJP parties to dislodge the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, the AAP and the Congress have failed to enter into any agreement in Delhi for the Lok Sabha election.
Indicating no pact between the two sides, Arvind Kejriwal today appealed to electorate of Delhi to vote for his party’s candidates on all the seven Lok Sabha seats to help it to get complete statehood for Delhi.
The appeal came on a day when the Supreme Court hearing a batch of petitions on the AAP government-Centre tussle granted authority to the Central government in administrative matters, including transfers and postings of joint secretary-level officers.
A disappointed Chief Minister questioned the SC ruling calling it “unfortunate and unconstitutional” asserting that the order will leave the AAP government to the “mercy of the opposition (BJP) again while his predecessor and Congress president Sheila Dikshit welcomed the move.
Kejriwal took strong exception to his predecessor’s remarks over the SC ruling requesting her to look beyond “short-sighted benefits”, but think for Delhi. “Making such statements for short-term politics is not right. Today, we are in government and in future it could be yours (Congress),” said Kejriwal.
"The judgement... is injustice to people of Delhi. If all powers are given to the opposition party, how will an elected government function? We have been suffering this for the past four years,” said Kejriwal.
He said the AAP government doesn’t have even 10 per cent of powers, including transfer/postings of officers and the Anti-Corruption Branch, the Dikshit government enjoyed, besides during 10 years of her tenure she had the benefit of the Congress being at the Centre.
“But despite this, our government has done work 10 times more than what the Congress government did in 15 years in Delhi,” he said.
AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai asked the Congress leader not to mislead people of Delhi.
‘AAP should sort out differences with authorities’
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, former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.
Dikshit's remark came after a Supreme Court verdict over the division of powers between the Centre and the elected city government.
The former chief minister said the Congress government faced problems over governance issues but it never allowed such things to become a talking point and suggested the ruling AAP to reconcile differences instead of resorting to "fights" with authorities.
"If they (the Delhi government) want to change this situation, they should approach them (the Centre) explaining difficulties faced by them. It cannot be rectified through fights," the state Congress president said.
‘It's a lesson for Kejriwal’
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said the SC verdict is a "lesson" for Arvind Kejriwal.
"The statement of the Chief Minister that he respected the court but this decision was injustice to the people of Delhi is quite unfortunate. Using such language against the SC by a person holding constitutional post of Chief Minister is reprehensible. Disregarding the Constitution and the rules is part of his working which is being witnessed by the people of Delhi. By raising questions again and again on the Constitution and attacking the Supreme Court, Election Commission and the investigating agencies he has made it clear that he is urban “naxalite”, Tiwari said.
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