Delhi Assembly session likely to witness uproar over GNCTD (Amendment) Act

The Delhi Assembly session beginning Wednesday, the first after the enactment of the GNCTD (Amendment) Act 2023 on the control of services in the national capital, is likely to witness noisy scenes involving legislators of the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act came into being on Saturday following presidential assent. The law gives the Centre control over bureaucracy in the national capital and seeks to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers.

In his Independence Day speech at Chhatrasal stadium, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Act has snatched powers of the elected government of Delhi and the AAP dispensation will restore them.

The two-day assembly session will begin at 11 am on Wednesday. The list of business of the House did not specify any particular issue to be raised by the AAP.

AAP leaders were tight-lipped about their strategy for the session. The GNCTD (Amendment) Act 2023 is expected to be a prominent debating point.

Sources said the AAP may also raise the issue of suspension of its Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh in the House.

In a joint press conference, BJP MLAs accused the AAP of "undermining" democracy in the assembly.

The AAP is making noise over the suspension of its members from Parliament, but it is itself responsible for "undermining democracy" in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, the BJP MLAs said.

"In the past three years, BJP legislators have been removed from the assembly 35 times in 16 sessions, revealing a pattern of anti-democratic behaviour," said Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.

The BJP legislators also accused the AAP of "stifling the opposition's voice" by preventing discussions on notices given by them.