Kejriwal ready to quit over anti-graft bill
Delhi chief minister tells NDTV he will let his government fall if Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed in assembly.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has threatened to resign if his proposed anti-graft Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed in the state assembly.
In an interview to private NDTV channel on Sunday, Kejriwal said he planned to table the bill in the assembly on Thursday.
“Jan Lokpal Bill is more important than the government’s survival… Delhi government will fall if there’s no Jan Lokpal,” he said.
Kejriwal’s Aam Admi (Common Man) Party was born out of an anti-corruption movement that swept the nation some two years ago. The AAP made a stunning electoral debut last December in Delhi, winning 28 of the 70 assembly seats. Its government is supported by the Congress from outside.
Since taking oath as the chief minister, Kejriwal has said time and again that he would not compromise on his anti-corruption measures.
It is not certain whether the Congress will vote in favour of the bill.
“Congress is ready for a debate on Jan Lokpal, but it won’t accept the bill in an unconstitutional way,” party spokesperson Amrita Dhawan said.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has, however, criticised Kejriwal’s threat to resign. “Stop drama,” tweeted its leader Harsh Vardhan.