Kejriwal's odd-even scheme in Delhi insulting, say MPs

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s pet odd-even scheme came in for a scathing attack in Parliament on Monday with members alleging it would “generate corruption” and was aimed at “insulting” MPs as they sought exemption from the scheme to attend Parliament.

Raising the issue during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, contended that the scheme would not help CNG companies and companies manufacturing buses and cars and would hardly reduce pollution.

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He said Kejriwal had introduced the scheme to gain “cheap popularity”.

Citing an Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur study, he said the pollution from cars was a mere five per cent and the Delhi government had failed to address other issues which contribute to the remaining 95% of pollution.

While this was strongly contested by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Bhagwant Mann, some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members were seen supporting Ranjan’s plea.

In the Rajya Sabha, Naresh Agrawal from the Samajwadi Party made a strong pitch for exempting MPs from the scheme as has been done for some other sections, a view that found resonance among most of parties as well as Deputy Chairman of the House P J Kurien.

Going hammer and tongs against the Delhi government over the move, Agrawal alleged it was done to “insult” the MPs and wondered why the Centre was “silent” on the issue.

Ridiculing the AAP government of Delhi over the scheme which he said was an outcome of its penchant for new rules, Agrawal said day was not far when rules will be framed to prescribe “A and B will walk on the road on a particular day and C and D some other day. Only women will use the road one day and the next day only men.”

Congress member Rajiv Shukla said MPs should be “exempted” from the scheme.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress Deputy Leader Anand Sharma backed the views saying the scheme was coming in the way of discharging their duties.

Kurien also supported the sentiment, noting that the government's duty was to help MPs discharge their duty in Parliament and asked why the Parliamentary Affairs minister did not take up the matter with the Delhi government.

“Or going by the suggestion of Shukla, MPs’ vehicles should be exempted from the scheme,” he said. Agrawal also wondered aloud what would happen if the elected government of Delhi started interfering in Lutyens' Delhi.

“The Delhi government did not exempt the MPs deliberately in order to insult them even as many others were exempted,” he said.

Referring to the recent incident of a BJP MP violating the scheme in protest and paying a fine of Rs 3,500.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said the scheme was coming in the way of MPs discharging their duties and not being able to attend the meetings of Parliamentary Committees.

Wondering how the scheme could be implemented when Parliament was in session, Sharma urged the Centre to take a call and insisted that "this issue needs to be addressed".

His party college Rajiv Shukla said "The only solution is that MP-labelled cars should be exempted.” Janata Dal (United)’s K C Tyagi, while supported the demand for exemption of MPs’ vehicles, said that criticising the scheme or Delhi government on this pretext was not correct as it had indeed brought down pollution and has been commended even by some foreign countries.

Azad said many MPs have told him about inconvenience they were facing due to the scheme.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in a lighter vein that the Opposition should first allow working in Parliament, at which Kurien quipped “even if they have to disrupt, they will have to come here”.

Taking the sentiments of members into account, Kurien said he thinks this matter needed to be taken up and asked Naqvi to take it up immediately.

At an all-party convened here ahead of the session, some MPs had yesterday sought relief from the Speaker saying some members were facing inconvenience.

Raising the issue at the meeting, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader A P Jithender Reddy said even Parliamentarians like him were facing problems in commuting in Delhi due to the scheme as they had only one car here and only one sticker was issued to them by the Lok Sabha exempting them.

His request found some favour from the Speaker who later said she has asked the Lok Sabha secretariat to work out ways so that MPs do not suffer while commuting.

The second phase of the scheme began on April 15 and will go on till April 30.