New Delhi: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court ruling on the power tussle between the Delhi Government and its titular head Lieutenant Governor, affirming that the verdict has virtually restored the powers of the elected dispensation.

AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described the apex court’s verdict as a victory for the people of Delhi and democracy.

‘A big victory for the people of Delhi. A big victory for democracy’, Kejriwal tweeted.

Welcoming the ruling, senior party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia called it a landmark judgement.

Mr Sisodia told the media,’Today, on behalf of the people of Delhi I want to thank the Supreme Court for its ‘landmark judgement’ (on LG). It has stated that in democracy people is ‘supreme’ and the Government elected by the people will be supreme.’

He said the apex court in its ruling has also clarified that there are only three reserved subjects in Delhi—police, public order and land.

‘Now, when the elected Government of Delhi will take decision for the people, there is no requirement to send files to the LG for his approval,’Sisodia stated.

“The powers enjoyed by Delhi government (under Congress CM Sheila Dikshit for 15 yrs), have been reinstated back to its elected dispensation,” tweeted a jubilant Saurabh Bharadwaj, chief spokesperson of AAP.

He lambasted the Modi government saying the ‘vindictive’ Bharatiya Janata Party-led dispensation had stolen those powers three years ago.

Bharadwaj also asserted that the stance of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit that the same powers existed for both the Congress regime and the AAP was erroneous.

‘ The vindictive Modi Govt had stolen those powers in May 2015, Sheila Dikshit’s lies have been exposed by Supreme Court,’ the AAP leader said.

In the midst of the confrontation between the AAP and the LG, the Congress party and Ms Dikshit were critical of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and had said that during her tenure she did not face any problem.

Senior AAP leader Raghav Chadha said that the Government has been reinstated in Delhi and rights of people restored.

A five-judge constitution bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Wednesday, held, ‘LG cannot refer all matters to the President. Delhi cannot have full statehood in view of an earlier nine-judge judgment.”

The bench also said that LG should ‘work harmoniously with the state.’

The AAP Government and Delhi LG Anil Baijal had been at loggerheads on various issues. (UNI)