New Delhi, March 23: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused the Centre of trying to bring in a legislation to put off elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by months and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to trifle with the Constitution.
Kejriwal told the media that the Modi government first put pressure on the Delhi State Election Commission not to announce the election schedule for the municipal elections in the name of unifying the three wings of the civic body into one. This, he said, was done because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power in the North, South and East municipal corporations here for 15 long years, was afraid of losing the upcoming elections. Now, Kejriwal said, the Centre was trying to bring in a legislation through which the municipal elections can be put off for months.
This, he said, was an assault on the Constitution as well as the country’s democratic fiber. “This is very sad,” he said. “What will be the future of democracy in the country if elections are put off and people’s voice is not heard? “This is an insult to Bhagat Singh and other martyrs whose death anniversary is today. Did Bhagat Singh give up his life so that a government in free India will put off elections?” The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader urged the Central government not to postpone the municipal elections or any elections for that matter in the country.
“BJP may remain or not remain, AAP may remain or not remain, Modiji may remain or not remain, Kejriwal may remain or not remain, but the country will always remain. “Don’t play with the Constitution, don’t play with institutions, don’t play with the sentiments of the martyrs… This is unacceptable.” He said the elections were being put off because both the Prime Minister and the BJP feared that their party will be routed in the civil polls in Delhi. “If you have the guts, hold and fight the elections. If you win, we will quit politics.” UNI
