Delhi Power Tussle: Supreme Court verdict a big victory for democracy, says Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday termed the landmark Supreme Court verdict on power tussle between the state government and the Lieutenant Governor a “big victory for the people of Delhi and democracy”.

“A big victory for the people of Delhi...a big victory for democracy...,” Kejriwal tweeted soon after the apex court verdict.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia addressed a press conference after the verdict and thanked the Supreme Court on behalf of the people of Delhi.

“Giving us 67 of 70 seats was a historic decision by the people of Delhi. Today the honourable Supreme Court pronounced another significant decision. On behalf of the people of Delhi, I want to thank the Supreme Court for the decision,” Sisodia said.

Also Read | Delhi Power Tussle LIVE: LG has no independent decision-making power, rules Supreme Court

Earlier in the day, in a major relief to the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, the Supreme Court ruled that the Lieutenant Governor can’t have independent decision-making power and was bound by the aide and advice of the Council of Ministers.

In a unanimous verdict on the power tussle between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra ruled that the LG cannot act as an "obstructionist".

Two other judges of the bench, Justices AK Sikri and AM Khanwilkar, were in the agreement of the verdict pronounced by CJI Misra.

The court said that while all decisions of the Council of Ministers in Delhi must be communicated to the LG but that does not mean his concurrence is required on all the matters.

The apex court ruled that the Delhi government had the power to legislate and govern on all the issues except for three issues – land, police and law and order.