Centre's notification an ‘insult’ to ‘biggest mandate’, says Dy CM Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said issuing the notification was an “insult” to the “biggest mandate” the people of Delhi had given in the Assembly polls. He alleged the notification was in violation of the Constitution and said the government has presented the motion before the House as attempts were being made to “curb the rights” of a democratically-elected government.

“It is an encroachment on the rights of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi. They (Central government) have tried to dilute the spirit of the Constitution. The Assembly must not remain silent on this issue. We all must protest. Whoever encroaches upon the rights of the Assembly should be protest, cutting across party lines,” he added, kicking off the discussion on the notification, a final resolution on which is yet to be passed by the Assembly.

He added that by issuing the notification, the Centre wanted to thwart the Delhi government’s attempts to curb corruption. “Delhi was plagued by corruption. People have given us a massive mandate to run the government. This government has taken corruption head on and achieved unprecedented success. The Centre is trying to thwart the Delhi government’s attempts. The ACB has done unprecedented work in the last 100 days despite several odds,” Mr Sisodia said.

Later, AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar Somnath Bharti moved a motion as a private member urging the Assembly to declare the MHA notification “unconstitutional and invalid,” under Rule 293. Through the motion, Mr Bharti requested President Pranab Mukherjee to exempt Delhi from any such orders from the Centre. It also sought to write to all MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha about the unconstitutional act of the MHA.

The Assembly vociferously discussed the notification, in which AAP MLAs Including Kapil Mishra, Alka Lamba, Jarnail Singh, Adarsh Shastri and others batted for the Delhi government’s powers in appointments and transfers of bureaucrats, against the MHA’s recent notification. Ms Lamba, AAP’s Chandni Chowk MLA, kicked off a ruckus in the session by using unparliamentary language against the Centre when Assembly Speaker Ramniwas Goel had to intervene and get the words deleted from the record.

Marshals were called in and BJP MLA from Vishwas Nagar O.P. Sharma was thrown out of the Assembly. Mr Sharma alleged he had protested against the foul language used by Ms Lamba against the L-G and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dwarka MLA Adarsh Shastri, who is the grandson of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, demanded constitutional amendment to empower state assemblies to impeach Governors and Lt Governors. Shastri attacked Jung for “creating hurdles” for the elected government and said provisions of impeachment of L-G and Governors would address such issues.