“Our fight will continue against BJP”: Atishi after passage of Delhi Services Bill

New Delhi [India]: As the Rajya Sabha on Monday evening passed the Delhi Services Bill after an 8-hour-lomg debate, giving Centre control over city bureaucrats, Minister minister and Aam Admi Party leader Atishi said the ruling party and the people in the national capital will continue its fight against the BJP.

Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AAP leader told media, “There are many in the country who talk about the absence of democracy in Pakistan, wondering how Bills are passed by their Parliament without any debate or consent.”

“Today Prime Minister Modi has made the situation in India worse than in Pakistan. This is very unfortunate. We, along with the people of Delhi, will continue our fight against the BJP,” she added.

She claimed that with the passage of the Bill in both Houses of the Parliament, PM Modi has “taken away the rights of the people of Delhi.

“Today with the passage of his draft-legislation by the Parliament, PM Modi has taken away the rights of the people of Delhi. We used to look at Pakistan not too long ago, wondering what kind of country passes Bills without discussions and debates,” Atishi said.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week, replaces the Ordinance promulgated by the Centre earlier for handling the transfers and postings of officials in the Delhi government.

In his first comment after the Bill was passed, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP, saying that the draft legislation was a “back-entry” entry to rule Delhi.

“These people (BJP) have seen that it is very difficult to defeat AAP in Delhi. In the last four elections — 2013, 2015, 2020 and recent MCD polls — the BJP lost to AAP. The BJP has not formed a government in Delhi for more than 25 years now. The people of Delhi sent them on exile for 25 years. Sensing it was difficult to defeat the BJP, these people are now trying to make a back-door entry to rule Delhi,” Kejriwal said in a video message, soon after the contentious Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha.

The Upper House on Monday passed the Bill that empowers Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to control Group A services in Delhi, including on matters relating to appointments, transfers and postings.

The Bill was passed after a division in which 131 MPs voted in favour of the legislation and 102 against it.