New Delhi: The Union Government has been passed the government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha on Monday. GNCTD bill gives the center more power over Delhi moved one step closure to becoming law on Sunday.

The Bill gives more powers to the Lieutenant Governor — the centre’s representative in Delhi — compared to the city’s elected government. It was brought in parliament last week, three years after a constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled on the dispute between Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the Lieutenant Governor.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the GNCTD Bill is an insult to the people of Delhi. The Delhi Chief Minister in a tweet said that “Passage of GNCTD amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today is an insult to the people of Delhi. The Bill effectively takes away powers from those who were voted by people and gives powers to run Delhi to those who were defeated. BJP has cheated the people.”

Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP won 62 of 70 seats in the 2020 Delhi election, leaving only eight for the BJP and none for the Congress, has often accused the BJP of trying to rule Delhi by proxy, through the Lieutenant Governor, and scuttling most of his plans and decisions.

The new Bill makes it clear that the term “government” in any law made by the Legislative Assembly will mean the Lieutenant Governor, whose opinion has to be taken before the Delhi government takes any action. In 2018, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court had held that while the Lieutenant Governor must be informed about Delhi cabinet decisions, his concurrence was not needed except in the case of police, public order and land.