Kejriwal resigns as Delhi CM post , Kejriwal quits over Jan Lokpal bill, Arvind Kejriwal quits over Jan Lokpal bill

Arvind Kejriwal resigns as Delhi CM post.

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party's whirlwind 49-day stint in office ended on Friday evening with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launching AAP's Lok Sabha campaign by accusing Congress and BJP of coming together to thwart the Jan Lokpal bill. Kejriwal used his resignation speech at AAP's Hanuman Road office — the same venue where AAP supporters had greeted him after the party bagged a stunning 28 seats in the Delhi election — to lash out at Congress and BJP for joining hands to allegedly protect the corporate interests of Reliance boss Mukesh Ambani.

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The AAP government's decision to file FIRs against Ambani and Congress leaders for "illegally" raising the price of natural gas was the reason for the Jan Lokpal bill being defeated, the CM said. The AAP leader sought to counter Congress and BJP criticism that the Jan Lokpal bill was "unconstitutional" by asking whether fighting graft was a violation of the Constitution. The query immediately evoked a roar from the party faithful.

Kejriwal's use of Ambani, one of India's foremost industrialists, as a symbol of his rivals' alleged bias for the rich and influential was clearly meant to project AAP as a fearless crusader prepared to take on all manner of entrenched interests. The CM's resignation did not come as a major surprise as the AAP government's decision to file FIRs against top Congress leaders and Ambani for allegedly conspiring to raise the price of natural gas was seen as a precursor to Friday's developments.

The die was cast with introduction of the Jan Lokpal bill in Delhi assembly earlier in the day being defeated by a 42-27 vote, giving Kejriwal the platform to take on his political rivals who he said stood exposed in their collusive politics. Wracked by several controversies, the short-lived AAP government never settled down and while populist decisions to slash power tariffs and deliver free water are seen to have consolidated its support, AAP's commitment to governance has also been questioned.

AAP's dream run from being a rank outsider to forming the Delhi government in a little over a year came to an end on a rainy, cold Friday evening with Kejriwal announcing that he would rather sacrifice the CM's chair a 1000 times than compromise on fighting graft.

AAP's moves were clearly well deliberated as the party was quite aware that moving the Jan Lokpal bill against the advice of the lieutenant governor would not pass muster. But the party has sought to turn defeat into victory by claiming that the Centre had used its power to aid the corrupt. "There is nothing in the Constitution to oppose the bill," Kejriwal told cheering supporters.

The decision to resign was announced before hundreds of party workers at the AAP headquarters after a quick Cabinet meeting that decided to recommend dissolution of the assembly and fresh elections. "When I took oath as CM, I promised to uphold the Constitution and I am prepared to sacrifice the post of CM a thousand times to uphold the Constitution," Kejriwal said.

In the assembly, basing their arguments on LG Najeeb Jung's objections to the Jan Lokpal bill being tabled, BJP and Congress called Kejriwal's move unconstitutional. "We are all for a Jan Lokpal bill but not one that violates the Constitution," said leader of the opposition Harsh Vardhan. The Congress, whose "outside support" kept AAP in power, took the same line.

However, in his aggressive speech at the party headquarters later in the evening, Kejriwal questioned the very basis of the Centre's approval for the bill, likening them to the colonists and the LG to the viceroy. "These people are lying. I have read the Constitution and nowhere does it say that a bill on a concurrent topic needs to be cleared by the Centre," he said.

The government's exit, scripted by the CM himself over the last few days, came at the end of a dramatic sequence of events that began on Friday morning and ended with the AAP senior leadership going into a huddle to chalk out the future course.

Day two of the assembly was chaotic with BJP and Congress continuing to disrupt proceedings, throwing the rule book again and again at the ruling minority government, first over calling the House on a gazetted holiday — Guru Ravidas Jayanti — then with the BJP moving a censure motion on the demand for discussion and conduct of law minister Somnath Bharti in the case of midnight raid.

Opening the ground for the battle over the "constitutional" position on Lokpal, Congress party chief Arvinder Singh rose to demand from the Speaker if the LG had sent any message for the House on the constitutional position of the AAP government's draft Jan Lokpal Bill. The Speaker's reluctance to read out the statement at first saw MLAs from the opposition and the Congress rush into the well of the House. After an adjournment, Speaker MS Dhir decided to read the message where the Lieutenant Governor clearly states that as the Bill was not in keeping with "procedures" it should not be considered by the assembly "unless it is introduced with the recommendation of the LG".

The LG's message cites section 22 (3) of the NCT of Delhi Act, 1991 to point that since this is a financial bill it needs to be sent to the LG for recommendation, and as per rule 55 (1) of Transaction of Business of Government of NCT rules 1993, the LG is required to make a prior reference to the Central government before it is tabled in the assembly. "The said Bill has not yet been duly placed before me," the LG asserted.

The assembly drowned in protests when in defiance of the LG's orders, the AAP government tabled the Jan Lokpal Bill. The uproar forced an adjournment of the House. When the House reassembled after 20 minutes the government suddenly changed track and the Speaker allowed a vote that defeated the bill. Finally when the CM rose to speak on the Appropriation Bill of Rs 372 crore — most of it meant for funding the subsidy burden of the state to be paid to the discoms, his speech was lost in the protests from the opposition benches who sought his resignation.

In a scene similar to one witnessed on the day Delhi assembly elections results were announced on December 8, 2013, AAP's CP office was packed with volunteers and supporters. The massive crowd led the police to block access to the area for vehicles for more than three hours.

Kejriwal arrived around 8.15pm and was rushed to the first floor, the same location from where he announced the party's win. Attributing the "collusion" between BJP and Congress to the FIR filed by the government against Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani, Kejriwal said that if charges against Ambani could be proved, both political parties would be in a mess.

After highlighting the achievements of his government in its limited tenure, Kejriwal fired pointed barbs at both parties. "They said we did not know governance but see how much we managed in these few days. Agar hum thode paise kha lete aur thode BJP ko phenk dete then they would not have said this. What happened in the House on Thursday made me sick. They broke my mike, tore my papers, gave bangles to one minister and have the audacity to call us unconstitutional. They have embarrassed me and the House," he said.

source:timesofindia

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