Delhi LG Murdering Democracy: Manish Sisodia
Now with the continuing dogfight between LG Baijal and Kejriwal, the people of Delhi must get ready to face more misery in the city.
By Rakesh Raman
The deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia said Saturday (July 17) that the Lt. Governor (LG) of Delhi Anil Baijal is interfering in the work of Delhi Government headed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and thus the LG is murdering democracy in the country.
Since Sisodia is a naive politician, he does not know that there is hardly any democracy in India. The whole world is screaming that India is no more a democratic country under Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi.
For example, the V-Dem Institute’s Democracy Report 2021 reveals that India has lost its status as an electoral democracy, as the government led by Modi is imposing various restrictions on multiple facets of democracy such as civil society and free speech.
The V-Dem report – released in March – says that Modi led his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to victory in India’s 2014 elections and most of the decline occurred following BJP’s victory and their promotion of a Hindu-nationalist agenda.
The V-Dem report came close on the heels of the Freedom House research report “Freedom in the World 2021: Democracy under Siege” which downgraded India’s status from “Free” to “Partly Free” due to the authoritarian actions of PM Modi and his Hindu nationalist government.
Moreover, Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – which works to protect press freedom in all parts of the world – has already declared PM Narendra Modi as the predator of press freedom. Earlier this month (July 2021), RSF published a list of 37 heads of state or government who crack down massively on press freedom. Modi is one of them.
When there is no democracy, the Delhi LG cannot murder it, as Sisodia has alleged. LG Baijal – who is Modi’s man – is simply following the norms of an authoritarian state.
JUST IN‼️
Dy CM @msisodia writes to LG Anil Baijal.
Urges him not to take decision on the subjects falling under the elected Govt of Delhi.
“जनतंत्र ने आपको यह योग्यता और ताकत दी है। अब इस जनतंत्र को बचाने की जिम्मेदारी आपकी भी है।” pic.twitter.com/MDxPdsQqDk
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) July 17, 2021
In a four-page letter which was released on Twitter, Sisodia alleged that Baijal has been bypassing the elected government of Kejriwal and calling Delhi bureaucrats to his office to issue directions and forcing them to implement his orders.
But Sisodia fails to realize that the Modi government passed a law in March to give administrative powers to LG. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act makes it clear that the term “government” in Delhi means the LG of Delhi and the Kejriwal government cannot take any decision independently.
In other words, the Kejriwal government will have to take LG’s consent before taking any executive action. That may be a necessary step because Delhi is completely ruined under Kejriwal’s administration.
Today, the people of Delhi are almost buried under rampant corruption, lethal pollution, administrative conflicts, and bureaucratic lethargy. Chief minister Kejriwal and other Delhi Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are virtually absconding while all this disaster is taking place in the city-state.
A recent “Catch Your MLA” service helps residents file their grievances about the carelessness of the MLAs in Delhi. You can click here to know more about this service and the disaster in Delhi.
Now with the continuing dogfight between LG Baijal and Kejriwal, the people of Delhi must get ready to face more misery in the city.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.
