Kejriwal Makes Statehood Draft Bill, Seeks Control of Police, Land

The bill demands full statehood for Delhi, one of the vital electoral promises of the AAP government.

PM Narendra Modi (R) and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (L) in conversation. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/PMOIndia)

• Demanding full statehood for Delhi, the AAP government on Wednesday released a draft bill which seeks to bring police, land, and bureaucracy under its control. It has also invited suggestions from the public till 30 June.
  
  
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said that he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President Amit Shah and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to discuss and get support for the bill.
  
  
• In an attempt to reinforce his point, Kejriwal quoted from BJP manifestos from 1993 till 2014. “LK Advani had tabled the Delhi Statehood Bill in Parliament in 2003. It was referred to a Standing Committee chaired by Pranab Mukherjee, which had backed the suggestions. But for some reason it got lapsed. Even Congress has spoken out for statehood in the past.”
  
  
• The Delhi government has constantly clashed with the centre over matters of jurisdiction since it took office. Granting full statehood to Delhi has also been one of the most crucial electoral promises of the AAP.
  
  
• Former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit commented on the issue and said that since the Delhi Government cannot even handle the MCD, she wonders how will they manage full statehood. She also said that she is unsure of what the AAP government demands in their draft bill.
  

(With agency inputs)