AAP seeks law on overage vehicles in Delhi, assures BJP govt of support

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday demanded that the BJP-led Delhi government bring a law on overage vehicles within a week to ease people's woes and assured support to the dispensation on the matter.

A no fuel for end-of-life vehicles policy came into place in Delhi on July 1. However, within three days, the Delhi government urged the Centre's air quality panel to immediately suspend the directive and said it will make "all-out efforts" to resolve issues related to restrictions on the movement of such vehicles.

Addressing a press conference, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi accused the BJP of deceiving people.

"The BJP banned the vehicles without thinking about what would happen to the women and the elderly. When Delhiites opposed this, they started deceiving people. Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said he has written to CAQM demanding that the fuel ban be suspended," she charged.

"They are playing (Bollywood film) 'Karthik Calling Karthik'. If the BJP wanted to remove this ban, they could have removed it," she said and elucidated that the BJP-led Delhi government is writing to the BJP-led Centre government's CAQM asking them to remove the ban.

Atishi said the AAP demands that the BJP bring a law on overage vehicles within a week.

"Be it through ordinance or by calling a special assembly session, the BJP should address this issue. We will support them. If they want to do it through an ordinance, we are ready. If the Delhi government does not have the power, the Centre can do so by calling a Parliament session."  The former chief minister said the Delhi government is saying it will go to the Supreme Court on the matter.

"They brought an ordinance after the Supreme Court delivered its judgement on the control of Services. The BJP wants to go to the Supreme Court, which will decline the matter. Then the chief minister will say that it is the court's order. Going to the Supreme Court is a ploy to get it dismissed," she alleged.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said her government will urge the Supreme Court to allow uniform rules on overage vehicles in the national capital in line with those followed across the country.