AAP to move SC against MCD standing committee election
Chief Minister Atishi on Saturday accused the BJP of “murdering” democracy and claimed that the election of a member of the MCD’s standing committee was “illegal and unconstitutional”.
‘Democracy murdered’
The country runs by the Constitution and laws, not by hooliganism. So the BJP should stop murdering democracy. — Atishi, CM
At a press conference here, Atishi said the AAP would approach the Supreme Court against the election held on Friday. The BJP won the vacant seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) 18-member standing committee unopposed as the councillors of the ruling AAP abstained from voting.
Atishi dared the BJP to get the MCD dissolved and face the AAP in an election to see who according to people should rule the civic body.
“The country runs by the Constitution and laws, not by hooliganism. So the BJP should stop murdering democracy,” she said, adding that the standing committee member’s election was held in violation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957.
According to the rules, only the Mayor can decide the date and place for the election of the MCD standing committee members. Only the Mayor can preside over a meeting of the MCD councillors for the election, the CM said.
“Flouting democracy, Constitution and laws, and on the L-G’s instructions, the election of the standing committee member was conducted by making an Additional Commissioner of the MCD the presiding officer instead of the Mayor,” she claimed.
Reacting to Atishi’s allegations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the Chief Minister’s remarks were “completely driven by political self-interest” and aimed at spreading “confusion”.
“Atishi should know that under Section 45 of the DMC Act, the formation of the standing committee is mandatory. Under Section 487, the L-G and the Municipal Commissioner have the authority to convene a meeting of the corporation under special circumstances and they can appoint a presiding officer for the meeting,” Sachdeva said.
