Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister, has threatened to resign if his government is not allowed to introduce the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill in the state assembly this week.
A day after Kejriwal said he would go to “any extent” to get the proposed legislation passed, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader threatened to quit, saying that bringing in the law was “more important than staying in power”.
But a crisis may yet be averted as the home ministry is likely to consider Kejriwal's request for withdrawal of a 12-year-old order that makes it mandatory for all Bills to be sent to the Centre before being tabled in the Delhi Assembly. The home ministry might refer the matter to the law ministry for its opinion. A final decision will only be taken after Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde returns from Maharashtra on Sunday night.
The Congress and the BJP are opposed to passing the Bill without the Centre’s approval.
If the Kejriwal government is allowed to introduce the Bill, the immediate crisis may blow over. But it may still resign if the Congress and the BJP oppose the legislation.
Last week, the Delhi Cabinet had cleared the draft of the much-talked-about Jan Lokpal Bill, which covers all public servants — from the chief minister to group D employees — and envisages life term as the maximum punishment for those found guilty of corruption. Senior party leader Prashant Bhushan said the party and the government is weighing all options including resignation and a final call will be taken on February 13, that is the first day of Delhi Assembly session which has been called for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Responding to a question on the scenario in which the proposed legislation is introduced but opposed by the BJP and Congress, which political observers say is quite likely, the senior lawyer said AAP would then have to take a call. “That’s a different matter, but yes, even in that case we will have to decide whether we should be in power.”
A day after Kejriwal said he would go to “any extent” to get the proposed legislation passed, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader threatened to quit, saying that bringing in the law was “more important than staying in power”.
But a crisis may yet be averted as the home ministry is likely to consider Kejriwal's request for withdrawal of a 12-year-old order that makes it mandatory for all Bills to be sent to the Centre before being tabled in the Delhi Assembly. The home ministry might refer the matter to the law ministry for its opinion. A final decision will only be taken after Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde returns from Maharashtra on Sunday night.
The Congress and the BJP are opposed to passing the Bill without the Centre’s approval.
If the Kejriwal government is allowed to introduce the Bill, the immediate crisis may blow over. But it may still resign if the Congress and the BJP oppose the legislation.
Last week, the Delhi Cabinet had cleared the draft of the much-talked-about Jan Lokpal Bill, which covers all public servants — from the chief minister to group D employees — and envisages life term as the maximum punishment for those found guilty of corruption. Senior party leader Prashant Bhushan said the party and the government is weighing all options including resignation and a final call will be taken on February 13, that is the first day of Delhi Assembly session which has been called for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Responding to a question on the scenario in which the proposed legislation is introduced but opposed by the BJP and Congress, which political observers say is quite likely, the senior lawyer said AAP would then have to take a call. “That’s a different matter, but yes, even in that case we will have to decide whether we should be in power.”
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