Lok Sabha Passes 'Constitutionally Valid' Delhi Services Bill; Arvind Kejriwal Reacts

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 will replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government.

New Delhi: Amid a walkout by Opposition parties, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed in Lok Sabha on Thursday with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of 'backstabbing' the people. The Delhi services bill, which will replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government, was passed after a nearly four-hour-long debate which was replied to by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition for joining hands against the central government's move to bring the bill, Shah predicted that once the bill is passed, the Opposition bloc -- INDIA -- will collapse. The senior BJP leader ALSO made it clear that the central government has the power to make laws on Union territories and Delhi, being a Union Territory, the Centre enjoys full rights to make rules also.

He alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi has not been not functioning within rules and it is even not convening assembly session regularly. Even the cabinet meeting of the Delhi government is not convened regularly, he said.

"The bill is constitutionally valid and it is for the benefit of the people of Delhi," Amit Shah said.

He asked the Opposition parties to support the bill, saying it is for the welfare of the people of the national capital.

During his address, he also said the government was ready for a discussion on the situation in violence-hit Manipur for as long as the Opposition wants and that he would respond to it.

Arvind Kejriwal hits back 

After Lok Sabha passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and urged people not to believe anything that the PM says.

"BJP always promised to give full statehood to Delhi. In 2014, Modi himself said that on becoming the prime minister, he would give full statehood to Delhi. But today these people stabbed the people of Delhi in the back. Don't believe anything said by Modiji from now on," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

हर बार बीजेपी ने वादा किया कि दिल्ली को पूर्ण राज्य का दर्जा देंगे। 2014 में मोदी जी ने ख़ुद कहा कि प्रधान मंत्री बनने पर दिल्ली को पूर्ण राज्य का दर्जा देंगे। लेकिन आज इन लोगों ने दिल्ली वालों की पीठ में छुरा घोंप दिया। आगे से मोदी जी की किसी बात पे विश्वास मत करना https://t.co/y1sCvbtZvU — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 3, 2023

As the House debated on the bill, Kejriwal said earlier in the day that Amit Shah did not have a single valid argument in favour of bringing the bill, and asserted that the Opposition bloc INDIA will never let it happen.

In his first reaction after the introduction of the bill, Kejriwal said this is a bill to enslave the people of Delhi.

"Today I heard Amit Shah ji speaking in Lok Sabha on the bill which snatches away the rights of the people of Delhi. They do not have a single valid argument to support the bill... They also know that they are doing wrong. This bill is a bill to enslave the people of Delhi. This is a bill that makes them helpless and helpless. INDIA will never let this happen," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

The AAP-led Delhi government has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the control of Group-A officers in the National Capital Territory administration.

In May, the Centre promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 that overturned the Supreme Court judgment handing over control of "services" in the NCT administration to the Delhi government.