Delhi deserves to be full state with all powers exercised by elected government: Omar Abdullah

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday said Delhi deserves to be a full state with all powers exercised by the elected government, throwing his weight behind the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation in the national capital notwithstanding the Aam Aadmi Party supporting “dismemberment and downgrading” of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

Abdullah’s remarks come after Chief Minister Kejriwal accused the BJP of seeking to drastically curtail the powers of his elected government in Delhi through a new bill in the Lok Sabha.

“In spite of AAP’s support for the dismemberment & downgrading of J&K in 2019, we still condemn this assault on the powers of the elected government of Delhi. Delhi deserves to be a full state with all powers exercised by the elected government & not a nominated LG,” Abdullah tweeted.

Kejriwal, in a tweet, said the Union government was allegedly curtailing the powers of the elected government in Delhi by bringing in a bill in Parliament.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, that seeks to give more powers to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The Centre had in August 2019 ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and downgraded it as a union territory. The AAP had supported the central government’s decision.