Setback for AAP with the passage of Delhi Bill in Rajya Sabha

Lalit Garg

(The writer can be reached at lalitgarg11@gmail.com)

Finally, the Delhi Service Bill, which limits the authority of the Kejriwal government, was passed in the Rajya Sabha as well. In the Rajya Sabha on Monday, 131 votes were cast in support of the bill and 102 votes against it. However, now that it has been passed by both Houses of Parliament, the bill will take the form of law after the President’s signature. The Central government has successfully passed this bill to control the arbitrariness, corruption, and irregularities of the Kejriwal government, due to which the opposition and especially the Congress have also been defeated.

The stubbornness, arrogance, and political ambition of the Aam Aadmi Party got defeated in front of the Constitution in the ‘Parliament’, the temple of democracy. Because the constitution does not only give rights, it also expects pure conduct. Undoubtedly, this is a historic victory for the BJP government because earlier it was speculated that despite getting the votes of all the allies of the NDA, the Central government would not be able to get the bill passed in the Rajya Sabha. That too, when all the constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (India), including the AAP and the Congress, which were constant attackers on each other, had united against the bill. In fact, due to the majority in the Lok Sabha, the NDA government had easily passed the bill, but the lack of a majority in the Rajya Sabha increased its concern. At such a time, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, the YSRCP, crossed the NDA’s boat. Definitely a major failure of the ‘India’ alliance. Due to corruption and violations of other democratic values, this kind of defeat is also necessary for the new India, despite Delhi being the national capital. The Aam Aadmi Party and its leader Arvind Kejriwal have continuously shown insensitivity towards the people of Delhi for their political ambitions.

Remember that the Aam Aadmi Party tried its level best to stop the passage of this bill. AAP’s surveyor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal even went on an ‘India tour’ to garner support for the bill from chief ministers of all non-BJP governments and anti-BJP political parties. Even after the opposition of the Delhi Congress, the national leadership of Congress was forced to support the Aam Aadmi Party against this bill in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Even after this, when nothing came into the hands of the AAP, its leaders tried to adopt other unethical and undemocratic ways as well. In the Rajya Sabha, AAP MP Raghav Chadha proposed sending this bill to the Select Committee. Expressing strong objection, five members of the ruling party said that their names were included in the resolution without their consent, which, considering its high degree of arbitrariness, forgery, and crime, demanded that the matter be sent to the Privileges Committee, Deputy Chairman Harivansh. There is talk of an investigation. It is possible that your MP, Raghav Chadha, may be punished for this.

Tales of various kinds of corruption and forgery had become a common thing in the Delhi government; the irony is that the AAP government, which specialises in mobilising the sympathy of the innocent people of the country by terming these corruptions as the BJP’s ploy, did not even spare the Parliament. The AAP party, caught in the allegations of forgery inside the Parliament, instead of showing regret, has started making noise that the BJP is now after its MP Raghav Chadha, fearing action. It is the same thing that ‘one is theft, and on top of that, pilferage’. If Raghav Chadha is right and he has not committed any forgery, then why should he and his party leaders need to fear?

The politics and thinking of the AAP party and its leader Kejriwal are distorted; their behaviour is false; they have covered more masks than faces; and they have destroyed all democratic and political values. Due to such worthless politics, millions of people are worried and confused about the future of the country. The time has come to be cautious and careful to preserve the glorious heritage of the country’s political culture. New standards will have to be set by the directionless leadership. Those political parties that consider forgery and corruption normal will have to be shown a mirror. Say anything, do anything to throw dust in the eyes of the public everywhere, and go ahead by apologising when exposed that perverted thinking, cleverness, and opportunistic politics have to be controlled. Perhaps the successful passing of the Delhi Service Bill in Parliament is a worthwhile initiative in this direction, a lesson, a message to beware of those who mislead the country.

AAP’s leaders, who understand political dissension as politics, should understand that a platform like Parliament is not meant for such petty, narrow, and selfish activities. Anything should be placed on any table of the Parliament only after serious investigation. But for those who have made the assembly of Delhi their political fiefdom and have made it an arena to vent their anger and commit arbitrariness, how fair would it be to expect the dignity of Parliament from them? Even if Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called this bill enslaving the people of Delhi or other opposition parties, including Congress, have said that the central government does not have the moral authority to bring this bill, it is an attack on the federal structure, etcetera, Amit Shah answered the questions and allegations of the AAP party and its allied parties in a very logical and factual manner while keeping the government’s stand on this bill. Shah said that it was necessary to bring the bill in view of the manner in which the Kejriwal government of Delhi had started transfers of officers after the Supreme Court’s decision and made the investigation files disappear overnight. The AAP government was desperate to keep the vigilance probing several cases against the Delhi government under its wing so that corruption would not be exposed.

Certainly, the AAP government’s unnecessary confrontation with the central government has resulted in the fact that Delhi will hardly get full statehood now. The people of Delhi suffered a lot due to the passing of this bill. The Central Government gave full details of the historical background of Delhi, the capital of the country, and the status of the state in 1993, with discussions about the rights and functions of Delhi in the Constituent Assembly and the Legislative Assembly with limited powers. Obviously, Delhi is not a full state, and the Central Government has the right to make laws on any subject in Delhi as per the constitutional provisions. A skilled, experienced, and mature Chief Minister runs his administration in the light of these things through constructive cooperation with the Centre. During the time of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, there was never any confrontation with the centre, and she always got the cooperation and support of the Central Government. Kejriwal, who considers himself the Chanakya of politics, could not understand this in his short political career.