Kejriwalji cannot expect to get special treatment which his predecessors did not enjoy—Ajay Maken.

·  Kejriwal has to follow the rule of law like all the previous Chief Ministers of  Delhi complied with---Ajay Maken.

·  Kejriwal clashes with everyone on one pretext or another for not doing anything---Ajay Maken.

·   The people of Delhi alone cannot decide on Statehood for Delhi for which amendment of the Constitution is required---Ajay Maken.

NEW DELHI, Reacting to the  Delhi High Court ruling  on Thursday upholding  the administrative powers of the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) in matters of land, law and order and police in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Ajay Maken said Delhi Chief Minister Shri  Arvind Kejriwal cannot expect to get special treatment which his predecessors like Smt. Shiela Dikshit,  Shri Madan Lal Khurana, Shri Sahib Singh Verma and Smt. Sushma Swaraj did not enjoy. Shri Maken said Kejriwal should understand after the High Court ruling that Delhi is a Centrally-ruled Union Territory, and “why should Kejriwal get special treatment, special privileges and special dispensation which his predecessors did not enjoy?”. He said the rules that were applicable to  his predecessors should apply to Kejriwal too. He said the High Court has only put a stop to Kejriwal’s demand for special treatment. The High Court   judgment comes at a time when Shri Arvind Kejriwal is away for a 10-day  vipasana (meditation therapy). Further commenting on the  AAP leaders’ announcement  that the Delhi Government will appeal  the ruling of the High Court in the  Supreme Court, Shri Maken said it would  be a waste of public money as the AAP Government would be paying hefty fees from the Government coffers for fighting the case in the  Supreme Court.

The court emphasized on the administrative capacity of the Lt Governor, while holding that Delhi should be seen as a Union Territory under Article 239AA of the Constitution and Transaction of Business Rules. Shri Maken said being a Union Territory, Delhi is under the Central rule, and enjoys certain perks and privileges, and it was up to the people to decide whether we still want to remain the National Capital. “Delhi will lose the perks and privileges when it  becomes a full-fledged State, like other States”, Shri Maken noted. He said Statehood of Delhi cannot be decided only by the people of Delhi, as it can be done only through a Constitutional amendment, for which the people of the entire county have to decide.

Shri Maken said for the past 18 months, Kejriwal has been fighting with the LG, Central Government, Corporations, Haryana etc. on one pretext or another, holding up all development works. He said when BJP was in power in Delhi, Congress was in power at the Centre while BJP was in power at the Centre, Congress was at the helm in Delhi, and though there were differences between the Central and State Governments, development works did not get stalled, like it is happening now. He said Kejriwal has always looked for excuses for not doing any work as when the rain comes, roads become pot-holed and streets get water-logged, public transport, power and water are all in a mess and he has not been able to fulfill even a single promise made to the people, but there is no stop to his blame game.