AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha is mobilising support in the Upper House to defeat the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was passed in the Lok Sabha amid a walkout by Opposition parties on Thursday. Mr. Chadha spoke about how the Bill will give the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi control over transfers and postings of civil servants, whether the party made a mistake by supporting the Centre to pass the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019, and if the ‘Delhi model’ of governance has been hit by the arrests of former AAP Ministers. Excerpts:
How will the passage of the Bill affect the AAP government in Delhi?
This Bill is a constitutional sin. First, it is an abuse of Article 123, which gives the power to promulgate an ordinance. Secondly, it amounts to contempt of the Supreme Court ruling [that gave the Delhi government power over services]. Within eight days, they [BJP] overturned the judgment. Thirdly, it abolishes accountability of civil servants. Now, the Central government-appointed Lieutenant-Governor will have control over civil servants. They will neither be accountable to the elected government nor implement the decisions of the Ministers. Every decision of a Minister can be overturned by the secretaries of different departments. So, in a way, Ministers will become subordinate to the secretaries. The Bill has made the government administratively impotent.
Is AAP hopeful of defeating the Bill in the Rajya Sabha?
In the Rajya Sabha, it will be a closely fought battle. The NDA and Opposition votes are evenly balanced. It depends on how many MPs abstain and how many are present in the House when it is put to vote.
Both the Biju Janata Dal of Odisha and the YSR Congress Party of Andhra Pradesh supported the Bill in the Lok Sabha. Did you talk to these parties? Were you hopeful of them supporting AAP?
I don’t wish to comment on the conversations we have had with various stakeholders. They must have had their own reasons for backing the BJP. We all are aware of the compulsions of these parties. It is for the people to understand. I’m still hopeful as it is a fight between dharm [right] and adharm [wrong]. I wish everyone rallies behind us to ensure that this Bill is defeated in the Rajya Sabha.
What is AAP’s strategy now with the Supreme Court referring its challenge to the Centre’s ordinance on control of services to a Constitution Bench?
This is the third round of judicial battles. In 2018 and 2023, the Constitution Bench ruled in our favour. This time too, the verdict is likely to be in our favour. It is only a matter of time. The plan is to fight such moves legislatively and judicially. Meanwhile, we will agitate on the streets. For its betrayal, the people will defeat the BJP in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
AAP had supported the Bill for the dilution of Article 370, which deprived Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and led to the bifurcation of the State in 2019. So, what moral ground does AAP have to attack parties that are supporting the Delhi services Bill?
That Bill was brought by virtue of a supplementary list without any debate, discussion, or even a day’s notice, and passed in the Parliament. Had there been weeks or months of time given to the political parties or the then Chief Minister of J&K, of course these political parties would have travelled across the country like [Delhi Chief Minister Arvind] Kejriwal and requested the support of other political parties to defeat the Bill. In our case, even though some political parties believed [that the Centre’s ordinance on services] was not entirely wrong, we went and knocked on their doors, and explained our stand to them in order to gain their support.
Do you still stand by AAP’s decision to support the 2019 Bill?
I don’t have to comment on whether it was a mistake or not. That had been our stand. What do I have to say on it? I have already answered the question in the best possible way I can.
How will you ensure that the ‘Delhi model’ of governance is not hit by the recent arrests of top AAP leaders?
The message is clear from the BJP: departments doing good work for the people of Delhi will be shut by arresting the Minister. We are fighting it judicially. We are challenging transgressions by the L-G and the secretaries. Politically, the people will give an answer.
