‘AAP against services bill, hidingcorruption’

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday asserted the power of Parliament to make laws for the national capital, saying the AAP was opposing the Delhi services bill with the sole intention of hiding its corruption and asked other opposition parties to think of people’s welfare and not of the new alliance.

Initiating the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Shah said the BJP and Congress had ruled the national capital without any confrontation, but problems arose only in 2015 when a government came that had no intention to serve but only to fight with the Centre.

The AAP-led Delhi government has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the control of GroupA officers in the National Capital Territory administration.

In May, the Centre promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 that overturned the Supreme Court judgment handing over control of “services” in the NCT administration to the Delhi government.

The lone AAP member in Lok Sabha, Sushil Singh Rinku, was heard saying that the intention of the party was not to pick up fights with the Centre but to save the Constitution from being “subverted”.

With opposition questioning the power of Parliament to make laws for the Delhi government, Shah asserted that the Constitution, under Article 239AA, granted such powers.

Shah also invoked first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Congress leaders Sardar Patel, C Rajagopalchari and Rajendra Prasad opposing the proposal for full statehood to Delhi. (PTI)