Picture : Twitter/ ANI
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout by opposition parties.
The Delhi services bill was passed after a nearly four-hour-long debate which was replied to by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah made it clear that the central government has the power to make laws on Union territories and Delhi, being a Union territory, the Centre enjoys full rights to make rules also.
“The bill is constitutionally valid and it is for the benefit of the people of Delhi,” he said. Shah also asked the opposition parties to support the bill, saying it is for the welfare of the people of the national capital.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor told ANI outside parliament, “Found it a shameful Bill for many reasons. First and most important is, that you are introducing basically a Constitutional amendment without calling it that…How can you do that? Secondly, you have a situation in which there is a No Confidence Motion pending in the House. While that is pending, you are bringing such a fundamental, substantive policy change. You are not supposed to do that…The Bill is really bad in law. It is basically going to undo the principle of Parliamentary accountability because a minister will not be responsible for his officials anymore because the officials will actually outrank the minister and be able to overrule even the CM. It is a disastrous Bill and we oppose it very strongly…”
Congress MP and leader of the party in Lok Sabha , Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told media persons , “…It is against the Constitution to snatch the powers of an elected government, whichever party is in power. When we were discussing this in the Parliament, our Union Home Minister Amit Shah started with his election speech…At least today, he (Amit Shah) should be ashamed of the Manipur incident…If we do not get a chance to present our views in the Parliament & the Home Minister starts with his election speech we had no option but to walk out…”
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi told reporters outside parliament, “They have a brute majority. We had beforehand that this is an unconstitutional Bill. This Bill is against India’s basic structure. Supreme Court had ruled against it earlier. I believe that when this goes to the Supreme Court, the Court will see this…Every party has their own strategy. We sat there and opposed the Bill.”
