Resolve Delhi deadlock: SC
6 Aug 2014 5:55 AM IST
Commenting on the suspended animation of the Delhi assembly, the SC said, ‘Should elected representatives sit at home without work?’
A constitutional bench, headed by Justice HL Dattu with Justices J Chelameswar, AK Sikri, RK Agrawal and Arun Mishra as members, said, ‘We are not looking at political parties before us. We are looking at the Delhi citizen’s point of view...he may say he has elected a representative and he is drawing salary from taxpayers’ money and sitting idle.’
The court was hearing a petition by Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to dissolve the assembly and call fresh polls in Delhi. Adjourning the case till next month, the judges said the Centre should take a decision at the earliest. ‘One party says it has no strength. Other says it has no desire.
Third has no strength. In a situation like this why should people suffer?’ the bench questioned the Centre.
Senior lawyers Fali S Nariman and Shanti Bhushan, representing the AAP, highlighted the Centre’s duty to give Delhi an elected government. Nariman argued that Delhi had been given the special status of a ‘national capital territory’, which would give it certain aspects of a state, like an elected government, making it necessary that this deadlock was ended.
Delhi has been under President’s rule since February, when Kejriwal quit as chief minister after failing to push his Jan Lokpal Bill.
Soon after the Supreme Court directive to finalise decision on dissolution of Delhi Assembly, the national capital might hold assembly elections in December this year. According to sources, there are hectic deliberations going on between Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, the home ministry and the prime minister’s office.
A constitutional bench, headed by Justice HL Dattu with Justices J Chelameswar, AK Sikri, RK Agrawal and Arun Mishra as members, said, ‘We are not looking at political parties before us. We are looking at the Delhi citizen’s point of view...he may say he has elected a representative and he is drawing salary from taxpayers’ money and sitting idle.’
The court was hearing a petition by Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to dissolve the assembly and call fresh polls in Delhi. Adjourning the case till next month, the judges said the Centre should take a decision at the earliest. ‘One party says it has no strength. Other says it has no desire.
Third has no strength. In a situation like this why should people suffer?’ the bench questioned the Centre.
Senior lawyers Fali S Nariman and Shanti Bhushan, representing the AAP, highlighted the Centre’s duty to give Delhi an elected government. Nariman argued that Delhi had been given the special status of a ‘national capital territory’, which would give it certain aspects of a state, like an elected government, making it necessary that this deadlock was ended.
Delhi has been under President’s rule since February, when Kejriwal quit as chief minister after failing to push his Jan Lokpal Bill.
Soon after the Supreme Court directive to finalise decision on dissolution of Delhi Assembly, the national capital might hold assembly elections in December this year. According to sources, there are hectic deliberations going on between Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, the home ministry and the prime minister’s office.
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