Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani supported full statehood to the Delhi Opposition in Parliament

New Delhi: The discussion on the 'National Capital Delhi Territory Government Amendment law, 2023' in the Lok Sabha on Thursday witnessed many a jibes and fire works at each other from the government and opposition parties.

Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted why it was necessary to bring this law. The Home Minister also mentioned the country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was opposed to granting Delhi full statehood.

Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary and Shashi Tharoor vehemently opposed the bill. Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was on a dharna outside Parliament said Nehru may have opposed it but BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in favour of giving full statehood to Delhi.

Amit Shah, according to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, did not make a single convincing point. This bill, he said, will make "Delhi a slave." In reference to Delhi's historical backdrop, Amit Shah stated in the Lok Sabha that following independence, the Pattabhi Sitaramayya Committee had recommended giving statehood to Delhi.

The Home Minister stated that when this idea was brought before the Constituent Assembly, leaders such as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Rajaji, Rajendra Prasad, and Dr. Ambedkar opposed it, claiming that it would be inappropriate to grant complete statehood to Delhi. He stated that Dr. Ambedkar had stated that in the case of Delhi, he felt that as the capital of India hardly any local administration could be given free rein here.

According to Shah, during the discussion, Pandit Nehru stated that "two years ago the House appointed the Sitaramayya Committee, and now that the report has come, the world, India, and Delhi have changed." As a result of these changes in Delhi, we cannot accept the recommendations of that committee, and to do so would be to entirely ignore reality.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh, countering the statement of Home Minister Amit Shah said, 'I heard that Amit Shah has become a Nehruvian. Before that they used to abuse Nehru. Remember Atal ji, who fought for full statehood for Delhi throughout his life. Read your manifesto; it clearly states that you intend to create Delhi a full state. Today, you are enacting an unconstitutional bill against a state government based on numerical strength. This bill will not stand anywhere in the Supreme Court.

"Leave aside the ancient comments of Pandit Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, and Dr. Ambedkar, Amit Shah ji, and look at the remarks of your party's leaders in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s,' Raghav Chadha stated. Lal Krishna Advani ji supported complete statehood for Delhi and introduced the Delhi Statehood Bill in 2003.He insisted on reading the words of leaders such as Madan Lal Khurana ji and Sahib Singh Verma ji. Advani has stated that the BJP's ambition is to have a full state government in Delhi and to achieve full statehood. The BJP fought for 40 years, from 1977 to 2015, but has suddenly given up, most likely because they know it is impossible to enter Delhi politics with Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated, "I heard Amit Shah ji in the Lok Sabha today speaking on the bill that snatches the people of Delhi of their rights. "They don't have a single convincing argument in favour of the law. Just talking nonsense here and there. They are also aware that what they are doing is incorrect. The bill seeks to enslave the citizens of Delhi. There is a bill that makes them helpless and helpless. I.N.D.I.A will never allow this to happen.