On path to an imminent collusion, the Aam Aadmi Party government will go
ahead and table the jan lokpal bill despite Lieutenant Governor Najeeb
Jung's advice to Delhi assembly speaker asking him not to allow the bill
to be introduced in the House, reports said.
The L-G had written to speaker MS Dhir saying he cannot allow the
bill in the House as it violates constitutional provisions, sources
said.
Sources added that the L-G has used the veto power vested in him
under the Government of NCT of Delhi Act to prevent the bill to be
introduced.
"Both the union home ministry and union ministry of law and justice
have written to the L-G that introduction of a bill that may be
repugnant to the central act needs prior assent from the President. The
L-G has used his veto power and written to the Speaker," the source
said.
Assembly sources said the L-G's message will be read in the House by the speaker and will be binding.
The chief minister's office however maintained that the government
will seek referendum from the MLAs and will table the anti-corruption
bill if they agreed.
Reports also said that a PIL has been filed in Delhi high court in
connection with jan lokpal bill and that a hearing is expected later in
the day.
The Congress, which provides external support to the AAP government,
has called for a vote on the L-G's letter to decide whether the bill
should be tabled in the House.
"A bill with financial consideration needs the involvement of the
Lieutenant Governor. This is not a kangaroo court, Mr Kejriwal wants to
write his own Constitution," Congress' Haroon Yusuf was quoted as
saying.
The opposition BJP called Kejriwal a dictator and also said there is no question of bringing a bill that is unconstitutional.
Jung's move will further antagonise the Aam Aadmi Party government
which insists on tabling it's showpiece legislation without his assent.
CM Arvind Kejriwall has indicated that he will resign if the bill is not
introduced.
Earlier in the day, reports said that Arvind Kejriwal-led government
indicated that they will resign if jan lokpal bill was not introduced in
the assembly, but not if the proposal was defeated in a vote.
"If the Congress and the BJP allow a vote on the bill, and it is
defeated, we will not quit. If they block the bill's introduction, we
will resign," AAP sources told NDTV.
"We came to power only for the jan lokpal and Swaraj bills."
Law minister Somnath Bharti was supposed to table the jan lokpal bill in the assembly at 2pm on Friday.
"We will try to introduce the jan lokpal bill on Friday. If it is
beaten and defeated by the Congress and BJP, I will resign," Kejriwal
had told reporters on Thursday in New Delhi.
The AAP wants to pass the bill, which is aimed at curbing corruption
in high places, in this four-day session which started on Thursday.
Saturday is the last working day of the special session called just to
pass the two pieces of legislation that AAP had showcased in its
manifesto for the Delhi assembly election.
But if the session was not allowed to be held on Saturday and on
Sunday despite the chief minister's desire, it would be extended.
Kejriwal came down strongly on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the
main opposition, and the Congress, which ostensibly props up his
minority government.
The assembly witnessed a stormy day, with four adjournments and no
business taking place on the floor of the House, CM Kejriwal alleged
that the Congress and the BJP had joined hands and did not want the
house to function.
This came as the Congress and BJP MLAs demanded law minister Somnath Bharti's resignation.
Talking to reporters at Delhi Secretariat after the assembly session, Kejriwal said Bharti was only a scapegoat.
"Their (Congress and BJP) main agenda was that the House should not
function. They were raising all kinds of issues and storming to the well
of the House one by one. Their actions were synchronised. Even when the
Speaker agreed to the debate on Bharti, the two parties moved two quick
resolutions and forced the House be adjourned for the day," the chief
minister said.
Clearing his position on Delhi Lokpal Bill, 2014 Kejriwal said they
can always take the permission of the Lieutenant Governor after
introducing it in the House.
"Section 26 of transaction of business rules clearly says that the
permission of the L-G can always be taken later," Kejriwal said.
Reiterating his position that Delhi government does not have to send
the bill to the Centre for prior approval, Kejriwal said there was
nothing in the Constitution of India making prior approval a must.
"For me, the Constitution of India is supreme and I abide by that.
India has a federal structure where the central government and the state
governments run parallel. We are authorised to make a law which is
repugnant to a Central law. I know if we send the draft to the Centre it
will never come back," he added.
Both the Congress and the BJP have agreed to support the jan lokpal bill only if it followed the “constitutional provisions”.
