Delhi services Bill passed by Lok Sabha; Opposition terms it “unconstitutional”

New Delhi: Amid a walkout by opposition parties, The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government.
The Bill sailed through the Lower House of Parliament easily as the BJP-led NDA has the majority.
The Bill was passed by voice vote.
As the Lok Sabha on Thursday gave its nod to the Bill that gives the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) of Delhi control over Group A services, all eyes are on Rajya Sabha.
YSRCP and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also supported the Bill which will be tabled in Rajya Sabha now where the NDA does not have the majority.
Union Minister Amit Shah said the Opposition parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) came together to oppose the Bill for the sake of their alliance and not for “democracy, the country or its people”.
In his reply to the debate, Amit Shah said that opposition parties did not take part in the debate on any Bill passed in the House and kept protesting on their demands over the debate on the Manipur situation.
Pointing towards the opposition benches, he asked what has changed that they were taking part in the Bill concerning Delhi.
“The opposition’s priority is to save their alliance. The opposition is not worried about Manipur…Everyone is talking about the rights of a state. But which state? Delhi is not a state but a Union Territory…The Parliament has the right to make laws for Delhi…,” Amit Shah said.
Earlier, moving the Bill for passage in the House, Amit Shah made a strong attack on the AAP government and said that the administrative arrangement in Delhi was working fine under Congress and BJP governments until a new party came to power in the national capital in 2015.
Taking a veiled dig at AAP, he said the aim of the party is not to work for people but to “fight” with the Centre.
He also targeted AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over alleged corruption in the renovation of bungalows.
“In the year 2015, a party came to power in Delhi whose only motive was to fight, not serve…The problem is not getting right to do transfer postings, but getting control of the vigilance department to hide their corruption like building their bungalows,” Amit Shah said.
With AAP a member of the I.N.D.I.A bloc of opposition parties, Amit Shah said they should support the Bill on the basis of what is good for Delhi and not on any other consideration.
He said Delhi being the national capital has special provisions in Constitution.
The ordinance on the control of services in Delhi was promulgated in May days after the Supreme Court verdict on the issue.
The Bill empowers the Central Government to make rules in connection with the affairs of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi including the functions, terms and other conditions of service of officers and employees.
Arvind Kejriwal has been seeking the support of opposition parties against the Bill, especially in the Rajya Sabha.
However, hitting out at the BJP party, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the people of Delhi have been stabbed in the back by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Taking to Twitter, Delhi CM, while reverting to a tweet by the BJP of December 2 in 2013 said that the party ruling at the Centre has stabbed the people of Delhi as they did not fulfil their promise to give full statehood to the national capital.
“BJP always promised to give full statehood to Delhi. In 2014, Modi himself said that on becoming the prime minister, he would give full statehood to Delhi. But today these people stabbed the people of Delhi in the back. Don’t believe anything said by Modi ji from now on,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi also said that this is an “unconstitutional” Bill and is against “India’s basic structure”.
“They have a brute majority. We had said beforehand that this is an unconstitutional Bill. This Bill is against India’s basic structure. Supreme Court had ruled against it earlier,” Owaisi said while speaking to ANI.
Speaking on the passing of the Bill, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “It is against the Constitution to snatch the powers of an elected government.”
“It is against the Constitution to snatch the powers of an elected government; whichever party is in power. When we were discussing this in the Parliament, our Union Home Minister Amit Shah started with his election speech…At least today, he (Amit Shah) should be ashamed of the Manipur incident. If we do not get a chance to present our views in the Parliament and the Home Minister starts with his election speech we had no option but to walk out,” said the Congress MP.
However, as the proceeding of the Lower House was undergoing, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lone MP in Lok Sabha, Sushil Kumar Rinku was suspended for the remainder of the monsoon session of Parliament for throwing papers at the Chair.
Later, he said that he has no regrets over his suspension.
Rinku, who is MP from Jalandhar, was suspended after the House passed the Bill for control of services in Delhi for throwing papers at the chair.
While talking to ANI after his suspension, Rinku said that it is an insult to the Constitution when the powers of the elected government are given to non-elected and bureaucrats.
“The Constitution is breaking, the federal system of the country is in danger…It is an insult to the Constitution when the powers of the elected government are given to non-elected and bureaucrats. The vigilance department is in the hands of the Central govt. The court will decide who is corrupt and not…I do not regret that I was suspended for raising my voice for the people and protecting Democracy,” he said.
Rinku is the only member of Aam Aadmi Party in the Lok Sabha.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved the motion for Rinku’s suspension.
He said Rinku had “torn papers and thrown these towards the chair” and should be suspended for the remainder of the monsoon session.
The Speaker put the motion moved by the minister before the House and announced that Rinku had been suspended for the remainder of the monsoon session. He said the member had acted against the dignity and decorum of the House.