NEW DELHI, Apr 28: The central government has implemented the National Capital Act reducing the status of the elected government of Arvind Kejriwal to virtual non-entity.
According to an official spokesman, the “Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021,” which gives primacy to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over the elected government in the city, has come into force. Under the legislation, the “government” in Delhi means the “Lieutenant Governor” and the elected government will now have to seek the opinion of the L-G before taking any executive action.
The provisions of the Act came into effect from Tuesday, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2021 (15 of 2021), the Central Government hereby appoints the 27th April 2021 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force,” the notification signed by additional secretary in the MHA, Govind Mohan, said.
The legislation came into force at a time when Delhi recorded 5,906 new Corona cases and 381 deaths in a span of 24 hours, and the city’s hospitals grappling with insufficient supply of oxygen, causing the deaths of many patients. Additionally, citizens have also been struggling to get access to hospital beds and medicines.
Parliament had passed the bill last month following which the Delhi Chief Minister had termed it a “sad day for Indian democracy.”
(Manas Dasgupta)