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Kejriwal is on warpath, BJP show could suffer
— By Our Bureau | May 24, 2015 03:02 am
New Delhi : An angry Arvind Kejriwal looks all set to steal the thunder from Narendra Modi and the BJP on their first anniversary celebrations. As the standoff between the Centre and the Delhi Chief Minister over distribution of powers reached a flash point on Saturday, Kejriwal was quick to respond by announcing a public rally and an emergency assembly session.
These are bound to reflect negatively and divert the attention from the Centre”s own shows. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley rubbed it in some more by declaring on Saturday that Delhi, like Pondicherry, was a Union Territory and that was a constitutional reality. He said the home ministry notification on Friday had only clarified the situation that there was no scope for grey areas on the powers of the LG and the CM. On a question of granting full statehood to Delhi, Jaitley said this could only be possible if there was consensus in the entire country.
Hitting out at the Centre for the home ministry notification, Kejriwal tweeted that he, along with his cabinet colleagues, would discuss the 100 days of his govt at the central park in Connaught Place. The combative Delhi CM asked all Delhiites to join him. The timing of the proposed programme clashes with Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s much publicised rally in Mathura at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya”s birthplace. The Mathura rally has been planned as the perfect platform for the PM to counter the opposition”s charge that his is a pro-corporate and anti-farmer govt. The PM is expected to keep the focus on the pro-poor social security initiatives of his govt, sources said.
But the Aam Admi Party may not stop at that. While AAP leaders had indicated on Friday that they would challenge the MHA notification in Supreme Court, Kejriwal convened a special two session of the Delhi assembly on May 26-27. Sources said the emergency session has been convened to discuss the distribution of powers between the Delhi govt and Lieutenant Governor. While the Delhi govt is not in a position to challenge the Centre”s note, it may pass a resolution condemning the same, AAP sources said. The MHA gazette notification had stated that the Delhi govt had no powers over transfer, posting of central govt officers and that its writ was confined to employees to the Delhi state. The notification also clearly implied that the Delhi govt”s anti-corruption branch had no authority to file complaints against officers of the central pool. Meanwhile, union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju refused to join issue with Kejriwal. In an informal chat with reporters, he said: “It”s not worth responding to Kejriwal who just wants drama. We don”t believe in drama but in governance.”
