Kejriwal on warpath over Jan Lokpal bill

• CM threatens to go to any extent over his pet anti-graft legislation
• Cong, BJP will never allow passage of Bill as they are ‘hand in glove’
• 184 cr scam in Ring Road bypass project: AAP govt orders probe
• Jan Lokpal Bill will be tabled without Centre's nod: Prashant Bhushan

“I have a list of 13 legislations in which they (Sheila Dikshit government) did not take any approval. The legislations are held back in Home Ministry for six-seven years”

Delhi CM  Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday threatened to "go to any extent" over his pet anti-graft legislation, the Jan Lokpal Bill, which is opposed both by the Congress, whose continued support is essential for the survival of his government, as well as the BJP.

Asked if could resign, CM said: “That (resignation) you interpret," he added.

Asserting that both Congress and BJP will never allow passage of the bill, Kejriwal said since the government has decided to probe the alleged corruption in Commonwealth Games projects, Congress' "pitch" has become more "shrill" in this regard and also there are allegations against BJP, which is in power in MCD for past seven years. Kejriwal said, "We have written to Home Minister to withdraw the (2002) order which directs Delhi govt to take approval of the ministry before passage of any Bill in the Assembly" and asserted that his govt cannot follow these "unconstitutional rules."

"I have taken oath of the Constitution and not Home Ministry's order. I will uphold the Constitution." He added that "When I saw the order after becoming CM, I was completely flabbergasted. How can they do that. Then I told my officials to show me the history. I have a list of 13 legislations in which they did not take any approval. The legislations are held back in Home Ministry for six-seven years. If this is the case, then how can the assembly make law. Sheila Dikshit used to pass law before taking Centre's approval." Pointing at yet another purported scam under the Sheila Dikshit regime, Delhi govt has asked its Anti-Corruption Branch to probe irregularities worth Rs 184 crore in the construction of the Ring Road bypass ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

"Without prior approval of President and the Centre, passing Jan Lokpal Bill in Assembly won't be unconstitutional as BJP and Congress are claiming.

"Under Article 255 of the Constitution, no law passed by any State Assembly will be invalid merely because it did not receive prior approval of the President, if it receives subsequent approval of the President," Prashant Bhushan said.

CM meets Hazare

Arvind Kejriwal met Anna Hazare shortly after the Gandhian had a jibe at the Delhi CM saying some people take bungalows despite having promised not to do so.

The meeting between Kejriwal and Hazare, lasted for around twenty minutes. AAP leaders said a number of issues came up at the Hazare-Kejriwal meeting but declined to specify them. Shortly before the meeting with Kejriwal, Hazare took a pot shot at the Delhi CM and praised his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee for her simplicity.

Hazare told reporters that Mamata wears slippers even after she became CM.

Sorabjee backs AAP’s stand

Eminent lawyer Soli Sorabjee backed the Delhi government's stand that there was no need to take the prior consent of the Centre before introduction of its Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly, which it plans to do next week. In his opinion given to the Delhi government he said that there are "serious legal infirmities" in the Transaction Business Rules (TBR) of 2002 which requires approval by Central government before passage of certain types of bills. The Delhi government had asked him whether Rule 55(1) of TBR violates the Constitution and does the Central government have the power to make that rule under section 44 of the Government of NCT of Delhi Act. "In my opinion there are serious legal infirmities in the said Rule.”