In a bid to avoid President’s Rule in the national Capital, the Congress on Monday appeared to have acceded to the preconditions put forward by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and sought clarification on these issues. Responding to his letter, the Congress made it clear that 16 out of the 18 demands were purely administrative in nature which the AAP can deal with after it forms the Government in Delhi, while full Statehood to Delhi and Jan lokpal is out of purview of the Delhi Government.
In a letter, which bore the signature of AICC general secretary and in-charge of Delhi affairs Shakeel Ahmad, the Congress said that the AAP should come forward for formation of the new Government. Talking to reporters, Ahmad said that the AAP is a new party, so due to lack of experience they did not know that 16 points on their agenda were administrative in nature. “The 16 points are not legislative so our support on them is not needed. There are just two issues which are outside the jurisdiction of Delhi. One is related to full Statehood to Delhi, which is also in our manifesto and we have assured them that they can count on our support, whenever they take it up with the Centre. The other is about lokpal. We have said that we will support them if they want to make any changes in the lokayukta Act of Delhi; if it is not contrary to any law passed by the Parliament,” he said. Ahmad also made it clear that the Congress support is from outside.
In his letters to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP chief Rajnath Singh, Kejriwal had sought views of both the parties on various issues like ending the VIP culture in the national Capital, passage of the Jan lokpal Bill and the CAG audit of electricity companies. The Congress, which won eight seats in the Delhi Assembly elections, had offered unconditional support to the AAP to form the Government in Delhi. But, the AAP handed over a list of 18 demands to the Congress before it
considers the offer. Criticising Kejriwal’s 18 conditions, senior Congress leader and former Delhi Government Minister Arvinder Singh lovely stated that AAP leaders do not know about the functioning and system of the Delhi Government. lovely said that the AAP needs the Congress’ support in the Assembly only when the BJP puts up a no-confidence motion against the Government or to pass legislation from the House. “Strangely, AAP leaders do not know the system of the Govt,” he said.