AAP statement on BJP’s U-turn on Delhi statehood

On May 25, 2015

In what could termed as a significant addition to the habit of U-turn by the Narendra Modi led BJP government at the Centre, the BJP leadership has chosen to ditch the people of the capital on the issue of full statehood to Delhi.

Ever since its formation in 1992, Bharatiya Janata Party in the National Capital have been vociferous on its demand for complete statehood of Delhi have led several agitations and protests for the same.

Both the 2013 Delhi Assembly manifesto and 2014 General Election’s Delhi specific manifesto of Bharatiya Janata Party had full statehood of Delhi has a major promise.

The fact remains that Bharatiya Janata Party has been kept out of power by the people of Delhi for the last 17 years continuously and they also do not foresee any scope of coming to power in the Capital for next decade. This very reality seems to have made BJP to take a call to desert the welfare of the people of Delhi and astray away from its own promise.

The BJP’s eagerness to accord full statehood to Delhi is established further from the fact that with BJP led coalition in power drafted the legislative bill under the guidance of its stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani and presented it to the Parliament. More than one standing committee report have been presented, one of it even suggesting particularly that the Traffic Police in Delhi should be in direct control of the State government.

The lose of hope and clear indications of never having a chance to be in the seat of power in Delhi have led BJP to take the position of ditching Delhi from its earlier promise of full statehood.

Aam Aadmi Party would like to ask the following pertinent questions on this occasion:

(1) What transpired its worldview from 2014 and now to take a U-Turn from its own demand for full statehood for the state of Delhi.

(2) Why is the BJP now not thinking in favor of the people of Delhi and have instead decided to inflict Delhi and its citizens with the autocratic and central rule.

(3) Were its manifesto for state elections in 2013 and the Delhi specific manifesto of the party in the 2014 Parliamentary Elections another piece of ‘Jumla’.

(4) Is the BJP government in Centre now resorting to punishing of people of Delhi for keeping it out of power for the last 17 years in Delhi.

Aam Aadmi Party believes in resting the power of governance with the people of Delhi and its elected representatives unlike BJP. AAP and its government in Delhi would strive to retain the supremacy of representative democracy in the state and would leave no stone unturned to expose the double speak and hypocrisy manifested by the BJP and its leadership towards the people of Delhi.

AAP believes that despite the efforts of political maneuvering and arm twisting of the people’s mandate of the people by the BJP, the victory shall be of democracy.