The Congress on Thursday dubbed the two Supreme Court judgements over Delhi and Maharashtra issues as historic and said that the ruling BJP has lost on many fronts, including politically and morally.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was counsel in both the cases for the Delhi government and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, respectively, said: “Today we have two colossal judgments by the Supreme Court. They are judgments, which have exposed the unholy, undemocratic and ugly nature under-belly and the back belly of the BJP.”
He said the BJP has lost on all fronts, on many fronts – legally, morally, ethically. and politically.
Citing the SC judgement in Delhi government matter, he said: “In particular for the people of Delhi, it will not be run by a nominated LG or an LG controlled bureaucracy, but, Delhi will be run by representative democracy.”
His remarks came after the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favour of the Delhi government in a case between the state government and Centre in connection with the administrative control over transfers and postings of civil servants.
The apex court held that the Delhi government must have control over bureaucrats in administration of services except in areas outside the legislative powers of NCT.
The top court said the Lt Governor is bound by aid and advice of the NCT government except the matters relating to land, public order and police.
On the Maharashtra issue, Singhvi, who is a Rajya Sabha MP said, “On Maharashtra I know that you will ask me about relief, not given by restoration of status quo ante, but, that’s a wrong way to approach that judgment.”
He said that first and foremost, friends, all relevant legal findings in the Maharashtra case were in favor of the petitioners.
“And it was why I said that legally, morally, ethically, and politically, the respondents have lost, even though status quo ante was not restored,” he said.
He said that the whip by the Shinde faction was held to be illegal, secondly the recognition of that illegal whip by the Speaker was itself illegal, and third the Speaker’s recognition of the entire Shinde faction was held to be illegal.
The Congress leader said that the judgement says that the Speaker must decide the pending disqualification petitions expeditiously.
“If the Speaker doesn’t delay, if the Speaker doesn’t prevaricate, avoid or circumvent, if he decides the pending disqualification petitions that is no other result possible except disqualification,” he contended.
He stressed that there is no other result possible because the actions, which are complained of, are in violation of the whip.
