Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday called for a referendum on separate statehood for Delhi, soon after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union through a similar process. Kejriwal took to Twitter to make the announcement.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashish Khetan also said the same. “After UK’s referendum on EU exit, it’s time to have a referendum on full statehood for Delhi,” he tweeted.
AAP had promised the statehood for Delhi in their manifesto when they came to power in 2014. Since then, the party has been raking up the issue every now and then. In May, the government unveiled its draft Bill on separate statehood. Although the Kejriwal government tried to hold the referendum, it was postponed after experts called it unconstitutional.
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress have maintained that state governments in India do not have the power to pass any Bill on statehood. Such a change in the Constitution can only be made by Parliament. Delhi's Legislative Assembly does not have the same powers as of other states. It is governed by different rules as it is designated as the National Capital Territory, and not a full state.
Full statehood for Delhi is a promise all parties that have ruled the state have made at one point or another. Former home affairs minister LK Advani had also tabled the Statehood Bill of Delhi in Parliament.
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