The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the contentious Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after an intense debate that saw Home Minister Amit Shah invoke first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar, and Congress leaders C Rajagopalachari and Sardar Patel, to defend the legislation that seeks to vest powers to transfer and post bureaucrats in the nation’s capital with the central government.
The founding fathers of the constitution, Shah averred, too opposed proposals to grant full statehood to Delhi, evoking a sharp exchange with Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who said praise for Nehru from the minister comes as a “happy surprise.”
“It felt good that Amit Shah ji was repeatedly praising Nehru and the Congress party. I thought to myself, what am I seeing? Is this day or night?”; Congress leader in the Lok Sabha said in a brief banter with the treasury benches.
Speaking on the bill which would replace the central ordinance promulgated in May, Shah also accused Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party government of attempting to control the state bureaucracy to “hide corruption.” “The problem is not getting the right to do transfer postings, but getting control of the vigilance department to hide their corruption like building their bungalows,” Shah said in an indirect reference to the alleged expenditure incurred in the renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence which is now being audited by the CAG.
“The entire nation is watching you support the Delhi government’s corruption for the sake of the alliance,” Shah added, targeting the Congress. Taking a jibe at Opposition unity, Shah told the Opposition to not support Kejriwal since he cannot be trusted. “Eventually, he will leave the coalition when his work is done,” Shah said.
Leading the opposition charge in the debate, Chowdhury, claimed the bill, if passed, would set a precedent for the center to overrule state assemblies. The lone AAP MP in the house, Sushil Singh Rinku who protested on the passage of the bill was suspended from the house for the remaining part of the Monsoon session for unruly behavior. He registered his opposition and said the bill was demolishing the federal structure of the country.
Delhi CM Kejriwal also reacted to Shah’s speech on Twitter and accused the Modi government of trying to “enslave the people of Delhi.” “This bill will make them helpless. I.N.D.I.A. will never let this happen,” Kejriwal tweeted.
आज लोक सभा में अमित शाह जी को दिल्ली वालों के अधिकार छीनने वाले बिल पर बोलते सुना। बिल का समर्थन करने के लिये उनके पास एक भी वाजिब तर्क नहीं है। बस इधर उधर की फ़ालतू बातें कर रहे थे। वो भी जानते हैं वो ग़लत कर रहे हैं।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 3, 2023
ये बिल दिल्ली के लोगों को ग़ुलाम बनाने वाला बिल है। उन्हें…
The BJP which enjoys a clear majority in the Lok Sabha also managed to garner the support of regional parties like Biju Janata Dal, YSRCP, and TDP for the passage of the bill. With help from the ‘neutral parties’, the legislation is likely to pass the floor test in the Rajya Sabha where the NDA lacks a clear majority. Parties that opposed the Bill include BRS and SAD.
Over 26 MPs spoke on the Bill; among members from the treasury benches who spoke include Ramesh Bidhuri, Meenakshi Lekhi and Pravesh Verma, besides Shah. From the Opposition, apart from Chowdhury, Dayanidhi Maran (DMK), Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) and Supriya Sule (NCP) spoke, Shashi Tharoor (INC), and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM). Pinaki Mishra from BJD and Mithun Reddy from YSRCP spoke in support of the Bill, even as Reddy hoped Delhi’s fate would not be suffered by other states. TRS’s Dr Gadam Reddy and SAD’s Harsimrat Badal opposed the Bill.
While there was a demand for a division of votes from some members, including Owaisi, during his concluding speech, Shah said that what counts is the vote of 130 crore people. As there was no division vote, the Opposition staged a walkout.
The Delhi bill had also become a test of opposition unity as Delhi's Chief Minister Kejriwal has traveled to the capitals of all the major opposition-ruled states to drum up support against the bill. The AAP leader even threatened to boycott the opposition unity meeting in Bengaluru last month if the Congress did not come around to spell out its position on the statute.
The bill is likely to come up in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
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