Chidambaram slams govt's proposed amendments to GNCTD Act, says LG will become 'viceroy'

Senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal termed as unconstitutional and undemocratic the Centre’s proposed Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and called upon opposition parties to vote against it in Parliament. Congress said the bill was designed to make the LG of Delhi the “new viceroy”.

Calling the proposed law “retrograde, anti-democratic and an insult to the people of Delhi”, former Union home minister P Chidambaram said, “Under the proposed amendments, the LG appointed by the central government will become a viceroy exercising all powers according to the wishes of his master.” He exhorted the people to resist the move.

Former law minister Kapil Sibal tweeted that the bill is unconstitutional, it violates the federal structure and hems in the elected government. He further said the bill would make MLAs “caged representatives” and termed it another instance of the government’s “arrogance of power”.


Chidambaram tweeted while “the demand is for enlarged legislative powers to Delhi and the will of the people”, the proposed amendments “will make the Delhi government less than a municipality and rob the people of any kind of representative government”.