Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien on Monday made a passionate speech in the Rajya slamming the government for making a ‘mockery’ of the Indian constitution while choosing the Presidential route to scrap Article 370 on Jammu and Kashmir.
O’Brien said, “I am also appealing to my three friends in the Aam Aadmi Party. They’ve dealt with the Lieutenant Governor for a long while. For God’s sake, don’t get into another Lieutenant Governor. Please oppose this legislation.”
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav reminded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal how he had to spend days at the residence of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor in support of his demand for administrative powers for the elected government. Taking a dig at Kejriwal, he said, “They (AAP) are supporting now, but they cry every day. I had gone to meet them when their (AAP) Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister were hospitalised because they were staging a protest at the residence of the LG. They had not allowed anyone to meet even the Chief Minister (Kejriwal).”
Yadav then turned towards AAP MP Sanjay Singh, “How many days did you have to spend there (inside LG’s house)? Sanjay Singh, did I visit you guys or not? You were present there.” This dig by Yadav caused brief laughter among the opposition MPs, many of whom understood the irony of Kejriwal’s support for BJP’s proposal in ending the Jammu and Kashmir’s status as a full-fledged state to a union territory.
Responding to O’Brien’s appeal, AAP MP Sushil Gupta said that his party will happily withstand the ‘tyranny’ of the LG in Delhi but not compromise on national security.
Kejriwal on Monday had stunned everyone by extending his support to the BJP on the abrogation of Article 370. He had tweeted, “We support the govt on its decisions on J & K. We hope this will bring peace and development in the state.”