Please don't stop Delhi budget, Kejriwal writes to PM

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday requesting him to "not stop Delhi's budget", amid a row between the Centre and the AAP dispensation in the national capital over the issue.

The presentation of the Delhi government's Budget for 2023-24, which was scheduled for Tuesday, has been put on hold with the Kejriwal dispensation and the central government trading charges over allocations under various heads.

Speaking at a News18 programme on Monday, Kejriwal charged that the Centre was resorting to "gundagardi" and said it was the first time in the country's history that the budget of a government was put on hold.

A video clip of his speech was tweeted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Sources in the Delhi government said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stopped the budget and it will not be tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday.

In his letter, Kejriwal said: "This is the first in the last 75 years that a state's budget has been stalled. Why are you upset with Delhiites? Please don't stall Delhi's budget. With folded hands, Delhiites urge you to pass their budget."

As the chief minister lashed out at the Centre, sources in the MHA said the ministry has sought clarification from the AAP government as its budget proposal had high allocation for advertisement and relatively low funding for infrastructure and other development initiatives.