When electoral fraud, horse-trading fail, BJP passes dictatorial bills like NCT Bill: Ashok Gehlot

Hitting out at the Centre, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said that bill giving primacy to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor over the elected government is ‘the murder of democracy’.

Hitting out at the Centre, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said that bill giving primacy to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor over the elected government is ‘the murder of democracy’. The GNCTD Act passed by Modi government to curtail the rights of the Delhi Govt is murder of democracy. Abolishing the power of an elected govt is against the spirit of democracy. Earlier the SC had clearly ruled that the elected government is the real head of Delhi.1/4 Modi govt wants to run the country in a fascist manner. Electoral malpractices, horse trading of elected MLAs, and when failing in both, it resorts to passing such a dictatorial bill on the strength of its majority in Parliament. This is how the Modi govt rules.2/4 If it goes on like this in the time to come, the Modi govt can abolish the powers of the state govt by bringing such laws if BJP loses election in any state. This dictatorial decision of the Modi govt should be opposed at the national level by rising above the party line.3/4 While in opposition, BJP used to demand more rights by giving full statehood status to Delhi, but now they have brought such law. Prime Minister advocates cooperative federalism but in reality, NDA govt is imposing decisions on state governments by enacting such laws.4/4 The Rajya Sabha on March 22 passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Bill seeks to enhance the powers of Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi by declaring him to be the “Government of Delhi”. It also provides that the opinion of the L-G “shall be obtained” on all such matters as may be specified by the L-G before taking any executive action on decisions of the Council of Ministers of the Delhi Government.