AAP approaching parties to stall NCT Act in Rajya Sabha
NEW DELHI: A year after the Aam Aadmi Party was re-elected for the third time, the slugfest over the administrative control of the UT has again taken the centrestage in Delhi. To counter the Centre’s move to amend the NCT Act, AAP is approaching various opposition parties seeking their support to pre-empt the bill’s passage in the Rajya Sabha.
The party has got support from a section of the Opposition since the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Sources said AAP MP Sanjay Singh and cabinet minister Gopal Rai have been told by CM Arvind Kejriwal to build a consensus against the BJP in Parliament.
“We are in talks with opposition parties as this ‘backdoor politics’ of BJP will not remain limited to Delhi,” said Rai, AAP’s executive committee member. Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejashwi Yadav, RLD’s vice-president Jayant Chaudhary, Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and P.Chidambaram and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah have already termed the Bill as unconstitutional.
CPIM’s Sitaram Yechury has called the measure “draconian”. The AAP plans to hold a protest rally at Jantar Mantar where Kejriwal will be joined by his cabinet and MLAs. The ruling party has accused the Centre of taking away powers of the elected government and has said that it is exploring legal options as well.