On 26th May 2023, Delhi’s chief minister Aravind Kejriwal announced that he will boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled on 27th May 2023. The Aam Aadmi Party convenor also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.
In his letter, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The objectives of NITI Aayog are to prepare India’s vision and promote cooperative federalism. However, in recent years, there has been an attack on democracy and non-BJP governments have been destabilized, toppled, or prevented from functioning. This is neither in line with the vision of our nation nor with the principles of cooperative federalism. Over the past few years, a message has been sent across the country that if people elect a non-BJP government in a state, it will not be tolerated.”
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to boycott NITI Ayog meeting, writes a letter to PM Narendra Modi saying "People are asking, if the PM doesn't abide by the SC then where will people go for justice? What's the point of attending NITI Ayog meeting when cooperative federalism is a joke" pic.twitter.com/CPIQJaF9oH
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2023
Arvind Kejriwal further alleged in his letter, “Either non-BJP governments are destabilized by buying off legislators, or they are brought down by instilling fear through agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). And if a party’s legislators cannot be bought or broken, then the government is prevented from functioning either by implementing ordinances or through the intervention of the Governor.”
AAP chief further said in his letter, “After an eight-year-long struggle, the people of Delhi emerged victorious in the Supreme Court, obtaining justice. However, within just eight days, you overturned the Supreme Court’s order by passing an ordinance. Consequently, if any officer of the Delhi government refuses to work, the elected government chosen by the people cannot take any action in that regard. How can such a government function effectively? It seems like the government is being rendered completely powerless. Why do you want to render the Delhi government powerless? Is this the vision of our nation? Is this cooperative federalism?”
Proclaiming his boycott of the NITI Aayog’s meeting, he said in his letter, “When there is such a blatant disregard for the constitution and democracy, and when cooperative federalism is being mocked, then there seems to be no purpose in attending NITI Aayog meetings. Hence, people are saying that we should not attend tomorrow’s NITI Aayog meeting. Therefore, it will not be possible for me to attend the meeting tomorrow.”
The upcoming NITI Aayog meeting, slated for May 27, will address various important matters such as healthcare, skill development, women empowerment, and infrastructure development. The objective behind these discussions is to propel India towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. The council, which comprises chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers, serves as the highest governing body of NITI Aayog.
