Barely 24 hours after Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung hinted in an interview that he is “open to the idea of abolition of legislature in Delhi”, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit back, with Kumar Vishwas saying the LG is echoing the Centre’s sentiments.

“We at AAP believe that whatever Najeeb Jung says is result of what the Central government wishes for,” said Vishwas. “We want to remind him [LG] that expansion of any assembly or decision to dissolve it is not dependent on his recommendation. It is decided by the elected parliament.”

Vishwas also dared the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Central government “to dissolve Delhi assembly by passing a resolution in the Parliament.” He said that AAP’s strength “does not depend on whether or not the assembly exists.”

The party also took exception to Jung’s alleged proposal that Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal apologise to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “If a person occupying a constitutional post is asking Kejriwal to apologise, it is clear that PM Modi has got another person like (former Delhi Police commissioner Bhim Sain) Bassi,” said Vishwas.

AAP also accused the Centre of acting against states that did not vote for BJP in the assembly elections. “Mr Modi wants to play a semifinal of Emergency in Delhi, like he did in Arunachal [Pradesh] and Uttarakhand. This time, though, he has chosen the wrong opponents.”

Reminding BJP that its leaders, including former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, have time and again vouched for full statehood for Delhi, Vishwas attacked the party for backtracking from its stand when it is in majority in the Lok Sabha.