AAP vs BJP In Delhi Civic Body, Opposition Demands Budget Withdrawal

The Opposition BJP in Delhi’s civic body has started flexing muscle amid the controversy over Mayor elections in Chandigarh. At a meeting today to consider the civic body’s budget, the BJP councillors were seen holding a noisy protest.

The House was considering a proposal to put the funds of employees, standing committees and ward committees into the discretionary fund of the Mayor, which the BJP is opposing.

In this, they were seconded by the Congress, which is also in the Opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The councillors opposed the cut motion introduced by the Leader of the House Mukesh Goel, saying it would dilute the power of the committees and lead to sole control of Mayor Shelly Oberoi on matters related to disbursement of these funds.

According to the amendments document, the civic body has proposed to cut down funds on the property tax department by 102 crore, education department by 52 crore and committees in Central and Zonal offices by 123 crore.

The BJP protests came amid the huge controversy over the election of the Mayor in Chandigarh, which is now under the lens of the Supreme Court.

Following a petition by the Aam Aadmi Party — which lost the Mayoral election held last month — alleging rigging by the Returning Officer, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud watched a video of the counting.

What the Returning Officer did “was like the murder of democracy”, Chief Justice Chandrachud said  “It is clearly visible in the video that he is looking into the camera and defacing the ballot paper… Legal action should be taken against this officer,” he added.