August 4, 2023
In a fiery exchange in the Lok Sabha, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Home Minister Amit Shah engaged in a heated debate over the newly passed Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The bill, which seeks to control Group-A officers in the National Capital Territory (NCT) administration, has been the center of contention between the Delhi government and the central government.
Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal criticized Shah’s arguments, claiming that the Home Minister failed to present a single valid reason for the necessity of the bill. Accusing the government of “snatching away the rights of the people of Delhi,” the Chief Minister expressed concerns that the bill aims to “enslave” and make the people of Delhi “helpless.” He sought opposition support in the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks a majority, to halt the bill’s progress.
A key point of contention in the debate revolves around the issue of administrative control in the National Capital Territory. The bill aims to override a Supreme Court order, which had previously granted the Delhi government control over “services” in the NCT administration. Minister Shah defended the bill, citing constitutional provisions that allow the central government to make laws for Delhi. He emphasized that the BJP and Congress had worked without confrontation in the past, but disputes arose when a government came into power in 2015, accusing it of obstructing cooperation with the center.
The battle over administrative control has a long history. In May, the central government issued an ordinance to overturn the Supreme Court’s judgment, effectively taking back control of “services” in the NCT administration. The newly passed bill serves as a replacement for that ordinance.
With the Lok Sabha passing the bill amid a walkout by opposition MPs during voting, all eyes are now on the Rajya Sabha. Kejriwal, along with the newly formed opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, is seeking the support of regional parties to halt the bill’s passage. However, it is expected that with the backing of key regional parties not part of the bloc, the bill will smoothly sail through the upper house on Monday.
As the battle for administrative control continues, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds in the Rajya Sabha. The conflict between the Delhi government and the central government underscores the broader issue of power distribution between the states and the center, and the implications of such legislation on the autonomy of state governments in India.
