Centre preparing ground to impose Prez rule in Delhi: Manish Sisodia

New Delhi, Aug 23: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday accused the Centre of trying to prepare ground for imposing President's Rule in Delhi and alleged that it has been attempting to run the city administration even since the AAP came to power.

Sisodia warned the Centre that the AAP dispensation will not spare it if rights of people are violated, in an apparent indication that his party may launch a major campaign for full statehood for Delhi.

Taking part in a discussion in the Assembly in the wake of the High Court order holding that the Lt Governor is the administrative head of the city administration, Sisodia said elected people should be above the selected ones.

"We may be child in politics, but we are not immature. If they (Centre) trouble the people of Delhi, we will not spare them....during the elections, BJP had supported full statehood demand for Delhi, but now they have forgotten", he said.

Sisodia said that land, police and public order, the AAP government has power on all issues including services, ACB despite Delhi being not the full statehood. In an indirect attack at the Lt Governor, he also said that "elected" should be above "selected" who is not the representative of people, but added masses should be above the elected in the democracy.

"The central government wants to run Delhi indirectly through President's rule and that they are up to getting the President's rule (here) as they did in Arunchal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Despite getting raps from the court, they are trying such things," he said. Deputy CM said, "Be it we are child in politics, but we are not immature.

If they (Centre) trouble the people of Delhi, we will not spare them....during the elections, BJP had supported full statehood demand for Delhi, but now they have not forgotten." Sisodia further said that by model of works and ideas, the Aam Aadmi Party is expanding in Punjab, Goa and Gujarat.

Earlier this month, the High Court had ruled that the Lt Governor is the administrate head of the National Capital Territory and he is not bound by the advice of council of ministers.

Hitting out at the Kejriwal government over his "unconstitutional attitude", Opposition leader Vijender Gupta said the AAP has always chosen the way of "confrontation" to expand itself in other states to get benefits in assembly elections there.

Gupta alleged that discussing the situation arising out of the court order was a contempt of the order. But Sisodia rejected the claim of Gupta.

PTI