Thread by @AnOpenLetter001

GNCTD amendment bill 2021 is not very complex but AAP and BJP have a 180 degree difference of opinion on the very same bill.

here is what I understand —

India has three type of states:

1. full-state
2. UT
3. UT with assembly and limited powers [Delhi falls here, along with J&K, Puducherry]

This limited power is the reason why full-statehood has always been demanded in Delhi, but it has its own complications since the country's govt is also run from Delhi as well.

Therefore, full statehood dream has always been promised, never fulfilled.

Delhi didn't always have an assembly. It has an assembly in 1952, but it was abolished in 1956.

Finally, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 was made and in 1993, Delhi got its assembly back.

The act talks about 'limited' powers of CM and LG in Delhi.

Now, ever since this act was made, central govt wasn't very stable [1993-1999]

When it was a stable govt [1999-2004] Sheila Dixit was CM and Atal ji was PM. Both of them managed to run govt in accordance.

post that, [2004-2014] Delhi and central govt were run by same parties so, there was very little scope of problems.

Then, central govt changed and so did Delhi govt. and the huge problems with this 1991 act emerged.

LG appointed by central govt had his own understanding of the act and so did CM of Delhi, since the act did not have a very clear division of power.

We saw the power tussle that was dragged for long and culminated into a court case where judgement was pronounced in 2018

this 2018 judgement gave some direction and definition to the way govt should be run but it still left a lot of room for interpretation.

the key contention is, party ruling Delhi govt will always find it best to not having to refer ANY issue to LG before implementing it.

meanwhile, party ruling central govt will want ALL issues to be redirected to LG, who can further refer it to president - which means central govt will have an indirect say in the decision.

these extremes of ANY and ALL is the problem,

After the judgement of 2018, Kejriwal govt effectively stopped sending ANY issue to LG before implementing.

The new amendment effectively wants ALL issues to be routed through LG.

It is a purely political problem. Both parties want to be able to have a power of implementing/blocking certain schemes in the state which will give them a leverage to use it as a political tool.

ideal solution would have been a sweet middle ground where both sides discuss and divide the issues through deliberation where LG should be kept in loop before implementing and rest all can be done directly by the govt.

this is nearly impossible to be achieved through deliberation because both sides have political advantage at stake.

the case is most likely to end up as another impasse for next few months and may culminate into another court case.

In all this political circus, people of Delhi will keep suffering!