Rajya Sabha clears Delhi services Bill with support of 131 MPs; Amit Shah says it doesn’t violate SC order

The Rajya Sabha cleared the Bill with 131 MPs voting in favour of it and 102 opposing it. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, will now translate into law an ordinance that, in essence, makes it possible for the elected chief minister to be over-ruled by Centre-appointed bureaucrats. It had been already passed by the Lok Sabha last week.

Shah reminded the Upper House that it was the Congress regime that had amended the Constitution giving the Centre rights to frame laws for Delhi on all subjects, of which services are a part. “I want to assure that none of the provisions of the Bill are changed from what it was in the Congress regime. They are now objecting to it because they want to appease the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP),” the Home Minister said.

He added: “The Bill is not to usurp powers of the Delhi government, but to stop encroachment on Centre’s rights by it.”

Returning with his “chronology” jibe, Shah said that after the Supreme Court’s order, the AAP government transferred officers in the vigilance dept to shield itself from the probe being done by the agency in the liquor scam case.

“So much haste was shown concerning the vigilance department by Delhi government because it had files related to ‘excise policy scam’ and ‘sheesh-mahal’,” Shah said, leading to ruckus and protests by the Opposition parties.

Continuing his attack at the Opposition, Shah claimed that Arvind Kejriwal would be walking out of the Opposition’s INDIA alliance once the Bill is passed.

“They are opposing Delhi services Bill only to save their alliance. It won’t matter even if more parties join the INDIA bloc, Narendra Modi will again become the PM in 2024,” he added.

Earlier, the Opposition INDIA bloc and the BRS vehemently opposed the proposed legislation, saying it was unconstitutional, undemocratic and against the spirit of federalism. With Naveen Patnaik’s BJD and the YSRCP supporting the bill, the opposition pulled all stops, including bringing former prime minister Manmohan Singh on a wheelchair and an ailing Shibu Soren to the House, to shore up its numbers.