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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said he would write to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari asking him to withdraw a clause from Central rules, which mandates Class 8 as minimum qualification for getting a driver's licence.
"In the capacity of Delhi Chief Minister, I will write a letter to the central government and try to talk, asking for a speedy withdrawal of the clause from the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (Amendment). I will try to meet Gadkariji and apprise him of the difficulties auto drivers could face," he said addressing auto drivers here.
There is a huge opposition from auto drivers in Bengaluru over a new regulation that mandates Class 8 as minimum qualification for getting a driver's licence.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi should listen to the problems of the auto drivers and solve them, the AAP leader said.
Attacking the Centre, Kejriwal said "the ease of doing business will not happen by sitting with Ambanis and Adanis alone, but happen by sitting with common people, shopkeepers, small industrialists, autowallahs and poor people.
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In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not
refer to Kejriwal's remarks but asked those present to smile a bit else it could lead to a "wrong perception".
"I never had the privilege to be in a court but I'm told the atmosphere there is serious. Its influence is seen here too. It's the golden jubilee, smile a bit or it would lead to a wrong perception," he said in a lighter vein, leading the audience to burst in peals of laughter.
On the occasion, Kejriwal attacked the Modi government on the issue of independence of institutions with regard to appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges.
He said the Constitution states that while all institutions are independent of each other, they are inter- dependent on each other too.
"The independence of judiciary is paramount...It can be a matter of concern if there is infringement on the independence of judiciary," he said.
Referring to news reports regarding the proceedings in the Supreme Court on Friday over the delay in appointments of judges in high courts, he said many of the recommendations made by the apex court collegium have been pending with the government for the past several months.
"In a democracy, public opinion is most important. Such things give rise to rumours. It is not a good thing to have rumours in public," he said.
The Chief Minister said the delay gave rise to rumours that collegium recommendations were pending because names suggested by a particular minister for appointment as judges were not considered by the judiciary.
"Also, (that) the government is against appointing a particular person as a judge, therefore, there is a delay in clearing the (collegium) recommendations," he said.
He said if the Executive has even 0.001 per cent interference, it is "not good as the judiciary has to be completely independent of the Executive. The Executive has so much power, therefore, Judiciary has to keep a check on it".
Kejriwal suggested a rule whereby recommendations of the collegium should be implemented within 48 hours.
Responding to the issue of vacancies, the Law Minister said the Supreme Court and the government are working together to make the collegium system more transparent.
"We are working together to find an amicable solution," Prasad said in an apparent reference to the memorandum of procedure--a document to guide appointment of members to the higher judiciary.
