Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal today urged the BJP-led Centre to withdraw the Bill that seeks to give sweeping powers to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor vis-a-vis the elected government.

He said the AAP-led Delhi dispensation was even ready to fall at the Narendra Modi government’s feet for the withdrawal of this Bill.

Kejriwal asked where the Delhi chief minister will go if the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 brought by the Modi government becomes a law.

“Do elections, votes and our 62 out of 70 seats don’t mean anything?” the CM asked.

Addressing a protest organised at Jantar Mantar here this afternoon by the AAP against the Centre’s “conspiracy” to “weaken” his elected government through this Bill, Kejriwal said, “I want to appeal to the Centre to take back the GNCTD Bill, don’t cheat the people with this legislation.”

He alleged that the Modi government wants to undermine his government through this amendment legislation.

The BJP has brought this Bill as it is scared of the AAP’s reach in other states, Kejriwal claimed. “That is why they are trying to stop our development work in Delhi,” he charged.

The CM said there are two tasks before his government now ~ the first is to put the power back in the hands of the public and the second is to ensure that no development work stops in Delhi.

“Now whether we have to plead with them (Centre) and fall at their feet for this or pull their hands… we will do it,” Kejriwal said.

Delhi ministers and AAP MLAs and councillors took part in this protest against the GNCTD (Amendment) Bill, which, they have maintained, gives overarching power to the LG.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia charged that the GNCTD (Amendment) Bill is against “deshbhakti” (patriotism) and “aims to stop the development of Delhi”. Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai alleged that by bringing this Bill, the BJP was seeking to enter Delhi through the “backdoor”.

“After losing the (Delhi Assembly) elections, the BJP brought this Bill to enter Delhi through the backdoor. If you have the guts, fight and win the elections. Prove your worth with your work,” Rai said.

The GNCTD (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy last Monday.

According to the Bill, the “government” in Delhi would mean the “Lieutenant Governor” in context of any law made by the Legislative Assembly. The Bill also makes it mandatory for the Delhi government to take the opinion of the LG before any executive action.

Kejriwal had earlier slammed the BJP dispensation for seeking to drastically curtail the powers of his elected government in Delhi through this Bill. He asserted that the proposed amendment Bill seeking to give overarching powers to the Delhi LG vis-a-vis the elected government was an “unconstitutional and antidemocracy move”. He said the Bill was contrary to the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench judgement.

~With inputs from PTI~