AAP moves SC against delay in Delhi civic polls
Highlights
- Plea was filed after Delhi State Election Commission indefinitely deferred the MCD elections
- A large number of AAP workers and senior leaders staged the protest near BJP's office recently
- Kejriwal had also urged PM to allow municipal elections in Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday moved Supreme Court seeking directions to the State Election Commission to conduct Municipal Elections in Delhi in a free, fair and expeditious manner, without any interference from the Central government.
The plea was filed after the Delhi State Election Commission indefinitely deferred the MCD elections citing a communication from the Lt. Governor conveying that the Centre was intending to pass legislation to merge the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party also held a protest against the BJP recently, alleging that it had forced the State Election Commission to "defer" the municipal polls in the national capital.
A large number of AAP workers and senior leaders staged the protest near the party's office, demanding announcement of the dates of the civic polls. The party had plans to gherao the BJP headquarters but failed to do so as police had put up barricades.
Their protest led to a traffic jam in the area. The AAP has been up in arms against the BJP since Delhi State Election Commissioner S K Srivastava at a press conference called to announce the dates for the civic polls last week had expressed his inability to declare the schedule, saying he had received "some communication" from the Centre.
Addressing party workers, senior AAP leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai alleged that the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, forced the State Election Commission (SEC) to defer the announcement of the dates of the civic polls as it was scared of defeat. “The BJP under the leadership of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi is trying to intimidate the Election Commission,” he charged.
As a result of this, the Election Commission did not announce the date of the municipal election “for the first time in the history of India,” he said. “The BJP, a party which scares the whole country, is now afraid of the AAP. Narendra Modi, BJP and their andhabhakts (blind believers) are now scared of Arvind Kejriwal,” he added.
Senior AAP leader Atishi termed the postponement of the announcement of the civic polls dates as “dictatorship” of the BJP and its government at the Centre, and said such a move must be opposed “tooth and nail”. “Whether the (municipal) election is held today or a year later, it will be won by Arvind Kejriwal,” she asserted. “But, this is a very dangerous tradition being started by them (BJP). Tomorrow, they will postpone state assembly elections if they feel BJP is going to be defeated… The AAP and the people will oppose such dictatorship of the BJP tooth and nail,” she added.
Reacting to the protest, Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the anxiety and frustration of the Kejriwal-led party over municipal election has reached its peak. The AAP should understand that the process for "betterment" in municipal corporations will take "a little time" and "soon we will go in for civic polls," he said.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the municipal elections in the national capital, saying postponing polls weakens the democratic system.
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