BJD Says Its Support To Delhi Services Bill Seeks To Back Parliament’s Power, Fight Against BJP To Continue In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday supported the Delhi Services Bill in Rajya Sabha and said its move should not be construed as the regional party;s allegiance to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Supporting the Bill in the upper house of Parliament, BJD’s Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said the support to the Narendra Modi government’s Delhi services bill is purely seeks to back Parliament’s power to enact the legislation.

The Delhi Services Bill, formally called the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, seeks to replace an ordinance that the BJP-led NDA government promulgated in May. The bill effectively overturns a Supreme Court order in May that gave the elected government of Delhi powers in all spheres except policing, public order, and land.

Asserting that BJD continues to maintain equidistance from both BJP and Congress, Patra while participating in the discussion on the bill in Rajya Sabha said that the regional party is not supporting the BJP. The reason the BJD supports the bill is because it has studied the Constitution, which has given certain exclusive and plenary jurisdictions or power to the Parliament to enact the legislation relating to Delhi.

The BJD MP said said article 239AA of the Constitution gives Delhi a peculiar and special position in the polity.  BJD’s support to the measure is on grounds of Parliament’s legislative competence vis-a-vis Delhi based on Art 239 AA of Constitution & SC verdicts, he said.

Describing BJP as the principal opposition party in Odisha, he said it is a pure constitutional issue and not political at all. It is not a question of BJD supporting the BJP. BJD only supports the Parliament’s power to enact the Delhi legislation, Patra said.

It may be noted that despite being political rivals in Odisha, the BJD had supported several decisions and policies of the Narendra Modi government including demonetisation, GST, CAA, triple talaq, RTI amendment and revocation of Article 370. The Naveen Patnaik-led regional party has also announced its decision to oppose the no-confidence motion brought by several opposition parties against the Modi government.