The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha that gives the central government the power to post and transfer civil servants in the Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Delhi amid stiff resistance from the INDIA coalition of Opposition parties.

Home minister Amit Shah termed the loud opposition to the bill as “politically motivated” while asserting that the Constitution empowers Parliament to make any law regarding the state of Delhi.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was tabled by junior home minister Nityanand Rai amid loud protests by the INDIA coalition of Opposition parties demanding Modi’s presence in the House to give a statement over the situation in Manipur.

The proposed legislation gives the Delhi lieutenant governor a final say on the transfer and posting of government officials and so politically it’s being seen as an effort by the Modi government to strengthen its control over a state ruled by an Opposition party.

The bill saw all the key constituents of the INDIA coalition getting up on their feet to oppose its introduction with Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury terming the contents of the bill as a “graveyard” of cooperative federalism. “The bill vindicates the outrageous infringement of this (central) government upon the territory of the state. It is designed for digging up a graveyard for cooperative federalism,” Chowdhury said.

The AAP has just one MP, Sushil Kumar Rinku, in the Lok Sabha but partners of the INDIA coalition led by the Congress joined hands to oppose the introduction of the bill, underlining the unity among the Opposition, determined to fight against the ruling BJP. The Congress was initially divided over backing the AAP over the bill.

Trinamul Congress’s Sougata Roy pointed to the recent Supreme Court judgment and said the bill was outside the legislative competence of the central government. “The Supreme Court passed a judgment and now this bill has been brought to override it. This is a total abrogation of the legislative power of the government of Delhi under the Constitution,” he said.