JOIN USCentre barred AAP govt from presenting Delhi Budget, claims Kejriwal
Setting the stage for another round of confrontation with the BJP, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that the Narendra Modi government has put on hold the presentation of the AAP-led Delhi government's Budget on Tuesday.
Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot said in a late-night statement that the Chief Secretary had received the communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on March 17 but for "some mysterious" reasons, he was told at 2 PM on Monday and the file put up at 6 PM.
Kejriwal said the Union government has asked the city government on Monday evening not to present the Budget for 2023-24 in the Assembly.
"You will be surprised to know that there will be no presentation of the Budget on Tuesday. It is happening for the first time in the history of India that the government has not allowed us to present the Budget," he said.
The Budget Session of Delhi Assembly started on March 17 and the Budget was to be presented by Gahlot, who assumed the portfolio late last month after the arrest of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
Gahlot said the budget was sent for MHA’s approval as per regular practice well in advance on March 10.
He said the MHA expressed "some concerns" and refused to give its approval. The MHA intimated the Chief Secretary about it through a letter on March 17 but "for mysterious reasons", the Chief Secretary "kept the letter hidden for 3 days. I learned about the letter only at 2 pm today".
"The file with MHA’s letter was put up to me officially only at 6 pm today i.e. just the day before the budget was to be presented in Delhi Assembly," he said adding the government has responded to MHA's concern by 9 PM.
"The role of the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary of Delhi in delaying Delhi’s budget ought to be investigated," he said.
Gahlot also accused the MHA of spreading falsehoods about Delhi government’s budget.
"Nearly Rs 22,000 crore have been allocated for capital expenditure next year, whereas the allocation for advertisements is only Rs 550 crore, which is similar to that of last year. The concerns raised by MHA are irrelevant and seemingly done only to scuttle the budget for next year of Delhi government," Gahlot said.
Recently, the AAP-led government in Punjab faced trouble after Governor Banwarilal Purohit did not convene the Budget Session of the Cabinet’s recommendation. As the matter reached the Supreme Court, the Governor informed the apex court that he had convened the Budget Session.
The Supreme Court has then said that there was no occasion for the Governor to seek legal advice on whether to convene a Budget Session as he is bound by the decision of the Cabinet.
AAP is up in arms against the BJP following the arrest of Sisodia, against whom the CBI has filed a second case. (ENDS)