Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah replied to the discussion on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha today. The Bill was later passed by the house.

Replying to the discussion on the bill, Shri Amit Shah said that the opposition is neither concerned about democracy, nor the country and its people and the entire opposition has gathered here to save its alliance. The whole of India is watching this double character of the opposition. Shri Shah said that public bills are not important for the opposition, but it is very important for them that a small party does not leave the alliance.

Union Home Minister said that the government is always ready to discuss Manipur in the House, and he himself is ready to answer on everything in the discussion. He said that the opposition wants to create confusion in the minds of the people, but the people know everything and today, the opposition has exposed itself.

Shri Amit Shah said that the House is not the place to mislead the public. He said that under Article 239 (AA)(3)(B) the Parliament has full power to make laws with respect to the Union Territory of Delhi or any part of it and  on any matter related to it. Shri Shah said that from 1993 to 2015, as per the established rules, the services were under the control of Central Government. He said that whichever government was in Delhi from 1993 to 2015, its aim was to serve the public and if service is to be done then there is no need to quarrel. He said that the Government of India has the right to make laws, and also the right to make rules. He said that the need to make rules arose because the governance in Delhi was not being run according to the rules.

Union Home Minister said that the moment this bill came in the Parliament, the entire opposition came together and forgot everything about Manipur, democracy or riots. He said that the vigilance department of the Delhi government was targeted because many sensitive files are lying there, including the excise scam file, the file on illegal expenditure on the construction of the Chief Minister's new bungalow, the file related to investigation into the expenditure of Rs. 90 crores on the propaganda of the ruling party. He said that in the name of Feedback Unit, an independent illegal intelligence department was started by the Delhi government by spending crores of rupees and its investigation file was also under vigilance. Apart from this, Rs. 21,000 crore was due to BSES and BYPL, yet money was given to a particular company, the file of its investigation was also with the vigilance.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Assembly of Union Territory of Delhi is the only assembly in the country, which does not prorogue at all. He added that from 2020 to 2023, it has called only for the budget session. He said that they call very few cabinet meetings, 13 permissions for institutions like AIIMS, IIT-Delhi were kept pending by them, an act was made in 2016 to bring 5G technology, which was accepted by all the states of the country but they did not. Shri Shah said that crores of rupees were spent in the name of advertisement to organize the shopping festival and the CAG report has not been tabled in the Delhi Assembly since last two years.

Union Home Minister said that this bill is completely constitutional and has been brought only for the welfare of the people of Delhi and there is no political objective of the Central Government behind it. Shri Shah said that one should neither give speech nor vote in this House for vested political interests and objectives, but voting in the House should be done for the benefit of 130 crore people.

Earlier, initiating the discussion on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah said that since 1993, a proper system was running in Delhi as no one had any intention to usurp the power. He said that in 2015, a government came to power in Delhi, whose aim is not to serve, but to quarrel. He said that the issue is not related to right of transfer or posting, but they want to hide corruption by taking control of vigilance.

Union Home Minister said that suddenly in 2015, the Delhi government issued a circular in which it took over the powers of transfer and posting. After this, the Central Government brought out a notification which was challenged in the High Court, the judgement of the High Court came in favour of the Central Government, which was then challenged in the Supreme Court. There was a split decision in the Supreme Court and then a constitution bench was formed, which recently gave its judgement. Shri Shah said that the Parliament of the country and the Government of India have the right to make all kinds of laws for the Union Territory of Delhi and using that right, a notification was issued because the Parliament was prorogued at that time.

Shri Amit Shah asked the leaders of the Opposition who are opposing the Bill that politics of supporting or opposing a Bill should not be done to win elections or gain someone's support. He said that bills and laws are brought in the interest of the country and should be opposed or supported for the good of the country and Delhi. Union Home Minister said that the opposition had got the confidence of the people, but during the government's 10 years rule scams worth Rs. 12 lakh crores took place. He said that the whole country is watching those who are secretly helping the Delhi government in scams and corruption to gain their alliance.

***

RK/AY