Centre 'Stopping' Delhi Budget An Attack On Constitution: CM Kejriwal In Assembly

Delhi Budget Session 2023: Kejriwal made the accusation on Tuesday that the Central Government was preventing the Budget from being presented in the Assembly.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Source : PTI

In the midst of a disagreement over the issue between the Central Government and the AAP government in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made the accusation on Tuesday that the Central Government was preventing the Budget from being presented in the Assembly and it is an attack on the constitution.

देर आए दुरुस्त आए। केंद्र सरकार ने हमारा बजट पास कर दिया। पहले ही पास कर देते, इतना बखेड़ा करने की क्या ज़रूरत थी? https://t.co/mqERayClsx

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 21, 2023

"They wanted me to bow down. It was their ego. There are uneducated people from top to bottom," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi Assembly was adjourned for two hours on Tuesday amid a ruckus between the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP over a breach of privilege notice in connection with alleged leaking of budget details, as reported by the news agency PTI.

Kejriwal said that the prime minister must first win the hearts of the city's residents if he wants to win Delhi.  

"If PM Modi wishes to win Delhi, he will have to win hearts of the city's people first," he added.

Kejriwal said that he wants to collaborate with the Centre and that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi supports him.

Addressing the Delhi Assembly, he said, "Delhi would have seen 10 times more progress had there been no tussles between the Centre and the state government."

"The Delhi government wants to work and not fight. Fighting serves no one. We want to work together with the prime minister, we do not want any tussle," he said.

"This is my mantra to him." "You are the elder brother and I am the younger brother. I will reciprocate if you support me. If you want to win the heart of little brother, love him," he said.

"The budget had to be presented today. The Centre stopped it. We replied to MHA's query without making any changes to the budget and they have approved it now. They wanted me to bow down. It's their ego and nothing else," he said. 

The House proceedings were adjourned once in the morning as well after AAP MLAs trooped into the Well following the conclusion of Delhi Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot's address over the stalling of the budget.

As the House reassembled, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta gave a notice for breach of privileges over the alleged leaking of budget details. To this, Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said, "As per rules, such a notice needs to be given three hours before. You are also saying that it should be taken up for discussion. It seems the aim is to create a ruckus and waste the time of the House," as quoted by PTI.

Meanwhile, sources in the lieutenant governor's office said on Tuesday that the Delhi government's Budget was approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs and has been sent to the AAP govt, reported PTI.

They also said that the Aam Admi Party, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and his ministers had "deliberately making false statements with the sole purpose of misleading the people of Delhi and the media and distracting them from the failures of the AAP government."

"He has been saying that the Centre has blocked a State's Budget. This is patently false. Delhi is a Union Territory and not a State and therefore it is fully a part and partial of the Government of India. Moreover, the Budget has not been blocked," a LG office source stated.

Kejriwal even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him not to stop the budget, as the AAP has claimed that the Centre has conspired to stop the Delhi budget.

The LG office source explained that the Constitution mandates the President of India's consent and approval prior to submitting the Delhi Budget to the Legislative Assembly, and that this has consistently occurred for the past 28 years.