New Delhi: Upping the ante over the Jan Lokpal Bill, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tonight threatened to resign if his pet anti-graft legislation is not passed by the state Assembly due to lack of support from other parties.
A day after he said to news channel that he can go to any extent over the huge issue of corruption, Kejriwal said he does not have the right to stay in office if the contentious legislation does not get the approval of the Assembly.
The Bill is opposed both by the Congress, whose continued support is essential for the survival of his seven-week-old government, as well as the Opposition BJP. To establish Swaraj in the country, CM’s seat can be sacrificed thousand times. I have not come here to become the CM,” the AAP supremo said reporters.
I did not come here to become the chief minister. I have come here to remove corruption from the country. I am ready, he said when asked whether he was ready to quit on the iseue of Jan Lokpal and Swaraj Bills. The Jan Lokpal Bill and Swaraj Bill will be tabled on the floor of the Delhi Assembly on February 13, the chief minister said.
Kejriwal’s comments yesterday came two days after he sent a strongly-worded letter to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung asking him to protect the Constitution and not the interest of Congress and the Home Ministry, saying they were keen on stalling his government’s Jan Lokpal bill.
We have written to Home Minister to withdraw the (2002) order which directs Delhi government to take approval of the ministry before passage of any bill in the Assembly,” he said. Questioning the validity of the MHA order, Kejriwal said government will not send the bill to the Home Ministry for approval.
Last week, Delhi Cabinet cleared the draft of the much talked-about Jan Lokpal bill which provides for covering all public servants –from chief minister to Group D employees and seeks life term as maximum punishment for those found guilty of corruption.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply