Narain Das Gupta is serving as a Rajya Sabha MP from Aam Aadmi Party. He also holds the position of its national treasurer. Apart from his prominent involvement in the political circles, Gupta is renowned for his financial prudence. He is a practising chartered accountant and a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Notably, he made history by becoming the first-ever Indian to be elected to the Board of the International Federation of Accountants. Gupta had a free-wheeling conversation with Amit Pandey, during which they discussed a range of issues. Exceprts:
The Central government has made changes in the Government of NCT Delhi Bill compared to the ordinance. How does your party view these changes?
As per the revised GNCTD (Amendment) Bill, there will be an authority comprising three members responsible for making decisions regarding the transfer and postings of bureaucrats. The concern arises from the fact that if two-thirds of the authority is aligned with the Central Government, every decision is likely to favour them. The Centre has also amended section 45 D, which strips the CM of powers to appoint a commission and chairman. Furthermore, there have been other deletions in the bill. These actions by the Central government are undemocratic.
The numbers in Rajya Sabha are not in your favor. There is a high chance that this bill will become law. What is the party’s future strategy?
We may not be able to stop this bill, but our work for the people of Delhi will continue as it has in the past years. Our government has accomplished exemplary work, including improving drinking water accessibility, healthcare facilities, education, and more. Despite facing various obstacles, our progress has not been impeded. Even in the MCD, AAP fulfils all guarantees, including paying wages to all employees on the first day of each month.
How will the alliance INDIA help the AAP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election?
This marks the initial stage of the alliance, where all the like-minded parties have come together in support of one another. The next meeting will be held in Mumbai, during which they will elect the chairman of the alliance, followed by the seat-sharing process. To facilitate this, they will draft the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).
The Delhi CM has raised concerns about Delhi’s ‘frozen’ share in the central pool of taxes. Please comment.
Delhi is one of the states that contributes the highest amount of income tax; however, it has received merely Rs 2,500 crore from the Centre. In justification to this, the Centre has stated that they need to allocate funds to other agencies like the Delhi Police. Additionally, there are issues with GST, and the Centre reiterates the same reason, pointing out that Delhi has responsibilities towards the NDMC, the cantonment area, and other entities. Despite facing such financial discrimination, the Delhi government presents its annual budget with great pomp. Remarkably, Delhi carries no debt whatsoever.
Your comments on the recent communal violence that occurred in Haryana?
This situation represents a complete state failure. It is not solely an issue with the police; it seems implausible that investigating agencies do not possess information about this violence. Though it remains a matter of investigation, it appears that there may have been a conspiracy behind this violence, especially considering news reports suggesting that agencies had previously warned the government about the possibility of such violence. Furthermore, the contrasting opinions of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister indicates that this is a failure on the part of the state.