Indian politics: Double-speaking BJP virtually rules
out full statehood for Delhi!
Dr. Abdul Ruff
________________
India
proudly claims to be the largest democracy on earth but in fact not entirely
comprehending the meaning of the concept democracy. Democracy is more than the
mere elections that are won by money-muscle-media power; it encompasses many
aspects of nation’s life: politics,
policies, nature of society and
social and economic relations, the
status of common people - to name a few.
Indian
government frantically seeking a veto on the discredited UNSC although there a other stronger nations making no such claims overtly, but it systematically denies Delhi state full
statehood which it deserves.
It is
crudely unfortunate that Indian government for years has denied Delhi its
legitimate full statehood so that Delhi government, irrespective of which party
governs it, can function as a truly representative entity to serve the people
of Delhi, especially the common people.
Earlier
it was Congress party which claimed to be the sole custodians of India and its
system, shutting door on the very face of Delhiites who demanded full statehood
to reap all benefits of a normal state, now it is the turn of its secret ally
BJP – the other side of same arrogant coin – to turn down the elected government
and Delhiites for statehood. This demand
has been there for years now.
Even
though the ultra Hindutva BJP and soft Hindutva Congress pursue similar
policies, if not the same, they just pretend to be fighting each other. BJP is doing exactly what the Congress party
did for too long in India.
Sympathy
for people is missing in both national parties that willingly showcase their arrogance
as ruling dispensation.
For
the first time in Delhi’s political history that a party other than these two national
parties has come to power – a popular new party Aam Admi Party (AAP) fully
committed to the welfare e of common
people and assumed power in Delhi for the second consecutive time by blowing
off both largest Indian national parties as Delhiites are increasingly fed up
their politics and policies promoting the corporates and causing price rises
and other problems for common masses.
The
issue of appointing top executive officals directly by the Lt Governor instead
of the Delhi government doing it at par with other governments has snowballed
into a feeble demand by Delhiites for full statehood for Delhi state.
On
the ongoing controversy between the Lt Governor and chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal over appointment of officers, he said people of Delhi were
waiting for governance by the elected government even after 100 days of being
in power. "The elected government should strive and the public is
waiting for 100 days that within the domain of those rights, it initiates steps
to provide governance in Delhi," he said.
Kejriwal and the Lieutenant Governor, whose working
relationship has never been smooth, plummeted into their latest battle over an
IAS officer described by the Chief Minister as a "lobbyist for power
companies". She was picked by Governor Jung as Acting Chief Secretary or
the senior-most bureaucrat in the Delhi government. Kejriwal has claimed that
an elected government cannot be saddled with bureaucrats against its choice, a
stand that has been backed by other heads of state governments. To Delhi
government should have the right to appoint officals who can willingly help the
government in fulfilling popular aspirations without hurdles.
The
rights not given to their elected governments rest with the Central government
that uses Lt Governor to issue orders and those rights are exercised by the Lt
Governor. The Centre put its weight behind Delhi LG who has been given absolute
powers in appointment of bureaucrats and he need not "consult" the
chief minister on subjects like transfer of senior officers, police and public
order. Arun added that there is no scope for any grey area.
Kejriwal had retaliated to the notification by the Home
Ministry, issued on May 21, by accusing the Centre of "betraying the
people of Delhi" and attempting to protect corrupt officers. Reiterating
his allegation of the BJP using the Lieutenant Governor to govern Delhi by
proxy, he said, "The Prime Minister's Office acts like the Queen of
England used to, with the Lieutenant Governor as Viceroy." The BJP, he
said, is trying to "run Delhi with three MLAs"; his Aam Aadmi Party
has the remaining 67 seats in the state legislature.
Amid
a raging row over exercise of powers in Delhi, Central government run by PM
Modi on May 23 said that full statehood rights cannot be given to Delhi
government unless there is
a general consensus in the country on the issue as it is the national capital.
The Minister said Delhi, though a state is also a Union Territory, which is
today's constitutional truth and Union Territories are under the Centre, but
Delhi and Puducherry that have elected governments have separate arrangements,
where some constitutional rights have been given to them.
The Aam Aadmi Party government has called for a two-day
emergency session of the Delhi assembly from May 26 to discuss the central Home
Ministry's notification giving absolute powers to the Lieutenant Governor in
appointment of bureaucrats and clarifying that he need not "consult"
the chief minister on subjects like police and public order. The decision for the emergency assembly was taken in a cabinet
meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today. The Assembly
session was originally scheduled for June. Meanwhile top leaders of ruling AAP
have met at the residence of CM Kejriwal to discuss the Indian Home ministry’s directive to present proposals to the state
Assembly..
When
Congress party was ruling Delhi, BJP and other parties demanded full statehood
for Delhi but when in power, BJP misbehaves with the people just like Congress
does. Senior Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said whenever there will be general
consensus in the country on giving full statehood status to the national
capital, it is possible. But till that is not done, full statehood rights
cannot be given to the state government.
He was asked about BJP's views on granting full statehood to Delhi, as
promised by it in the past. He, however, noted that the confusion over rights
exercised by the Centre and the elected government would lead to "offices
being shut down" and to avoid that the Home Ministry had issued the
classificatory notification. " And to ensure offices are not shut, it
is Centre's responsibility to clarify and Home Ministry has fulfilled that
responsibility by issuing a classificatory notification to make it clear what
rights rest with the Centre and what with the elected government," he
said.
Arvind Kejriwal Government of Delhi had
attacked the Centre over the notification, accusing it of trying to rule Delhi
through the backdoor and protect the corrupt.
BJP as well as Congress, claiming to
be literally owning India, argue since Delhi is the national capital of India,
it cannot be granted full statehood.
AAP has a pledge before people of Delhi as well as India to
commit to genuine causes of common people. A corrupt society, obviously, is not
in the realm of democracy.
It is one of most ridiculous
arguments to deny all privileges Delhiites do deserve. When
India and Delhi were ruled by
one and the same party or a
strategic allies like Congress and BJP
there were no problems but now
there is the new reality, the reality of AAP , unexpected by the parties. Old national parties have to come to terms
with the new reality.
Central government is duty bound to
protect the genuine interests of Delhiites and Delhi state and it can do so
only by granting Delhi full statehood.
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