Gopal Rai urges Rahul Gandhi to back demand for full statehood

New Delhi: Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai on Wednesday asked the Congress to support the demand of full statehood for Delhi so that the people of the national capital can lead their lives with dignity.

In a letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Mr Rai said that the grand old party should support the demand for full statehood to Delhi instead of proposing to amend GNCTD Act 1991.

In its manifesto released on Tuesday, the Congress said it “promises to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991 to make it clear that the lieutenant governor shall act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers except in matters concerning the three reserved subjects.”

Mr Rai said this was “extremely disappointing”. This is factually incorrect and these four lines do not convey anything. Firstly, aid and advice has nothing to do with the GNCTD Act, and it is extremely disappointing that after having promised statehood for Delhi for decades, your party has now gone back on its promise,” he said in the letter.

“Can you imagine that in the current set-up, the elected Delhi government has no powers to even transfer a peon? From senior-most to contractual staff, not a single employee reports to the elected government,” Mr Rai said in the letter.

He said that currently, the L-G can veto any proposal of the elected government because of which Delhi government had no power. “Can this be allowed to continue?”

“I am confident that you will stand for justice with Delhi,” the Aam Aadmi Party Delhi convenor said in his letter to Mr Gandhi.