New Delhi: Congress on Sunday night termed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's threat to resign over Jan Lokpal Bill a "shrewd" tactic to run away from responsibility and said it will support the proposed legislation provided laid down procedures are followed.
"Nobody is above the law. The Chief Minister wants to run away from responsibility. He is finding an excuse. It is a shrewd tactic," DPCC chief Arvinder Singh Lovely told PTI here.
He said Congress will fully support the Jan Lokpal Bill if the Kejriwal government tables it in Assembly following the laid down procedures.
"Congress has always maintained that it will support the Jan Lokpal Bill. Our only request to the AAP government is to follow the rules and respect the Constitution. The CM is not above the Constitution," he said.
The DPCC chief maintained that transaction of business rules for tabling any bill by Delhi government were finalised during the NDA rule in 2002 and they were even laid on the floor of Parliament.
He asserted that any bill having financial implication has to be cleared by the Centre before introduction in the Assembly.
"The Jan Lokpal Bill of Delhi has provisions which will overlap with the central Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, so it is mandatory for the state government to get clearance from the Centre. We will not allow any unconstitutional thing to happen.
"Even Delhi government's Home,Law and Finance departments have said that the state has to get clearance from the Centre on the issue," Lovely claimed.
DPCC chief spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said Kejriwal will be responsible if BJP comes to power in Delhi in the event of him resigning. "Kejriwal does not want to make Jan Lokpal into an Act, he just wants to run away from responsibility," he said.
Upping the ante over the anti-corruption bill, Kejriwal threatened to resign if his pet legislation is not passed by the state Assembly due to lack of support from other parties.
A day after he told PTI 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
