Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal has threatened to quit and allow his two-month-old Aam Aadmi Party government to fall if the anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed in the state assembly.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Mr Kejriwal said the Bill, which provides for an anti-graft ombudsman, will be tabled in the assembly on February 13. "Jan Lokpal Bill is more important than the government's survival... Delhi government will fall if there's no Jan Lokpal," the chief minister said.
The Congress, which provides external support to the Aam Aadmi Party, has accused Mr Kejriwal of looking for an escape route as he had failed to deliver on his promises to voters before the Delhi election.
"Congress is ready for a debate on Jan Lokpal, but it won't accept the Bill in an unconstitutional way," party spokesperson Amrita Dhawan said.
The latest conflict between the Centre and the AAP government followed a legal opinion by Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran to Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung that the Home Ministry must clear Mr Kejriwal's Bill before it is debated and voted upon by the Delhi legislature, because the Lokpal will be funded partly by the central government and a similar national law has been enacted recently.
The Chief Minister accused the Lieutenant Governor of taking his cues from the central government to stall the Jan Lokpal bill, and warned he would "go to any extent" to pass the Bill that was the centrepiece of his anti-corruption campaign that won a massive thumbs up from Delhi's voters.
(Read)The opposition BJP made it clear that they would not let Mr Kejriwal take an easy out.
"Arvind Kejriwal ji U have made such a hue and cry about Jan Lokpal everywhere but have not sent a copy to members of assembly .Stop DRAMA. BJP has never opposed the Jan Lokpal bill but the way political drama is being enacted by Kejriwal by insulting constitution and the laws (sic)," BJP leader Harsh Vardhan tweeted.