New Delhi: Terming a Bill brought by the Centre to give overarching powers to the lieutenant governor a “surgical strike” on India’s federal structure, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has written to her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal extending her support in opposing it.In her letter to Kejriwal on Wednesday, Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress chief, said she will write to all non-BJP chief ministers and political parties opposing the saffron party to seek their support for him over the issue.The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was introduced in Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy on Monday.According to the Bill, the “government” in the city would mean the “lieutenant governor” in the context of any law made by the legislative assembly. The Bill also makes it mandatory for the Delhi government to take the opinion of the L-G before any executive action.Saying that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah have not been able to accept the defeat at the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi assembly elections, Banerjee said the BJP now wants to strip away the legitimate powers of the chief minister and run Delhi by proxy.Banerjee alleged that the Bill makes a “mockery” of the letter and spirit of democracy by disempowering the Delhi government, which is elected by the people of the national capital.Also read: Centre’s Attempt To Give More Powers To Delhi L-G May Face Constitutional ChallengesShe also pointed out that the Bill was in violation of the verdict by a five-judge Supreme Court bench in 2018, which “upheld the pre-eminence of Delhi’s elected government in all matters other than police, public order and land”. The then Chief Justice Dipak Misra had ruled that the lieutenant governor does not have independent decision-making powers and the real power must lie with the elected government.(L-R) Delhi L-G Anil Baijal, home minister Amit Shah and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at a meeting in New Delhi. Photo: PTI“A balanced federal structure mandates that the union does not usurp all powers and the states enjoy freedom without any unsolicited interference from the centre,” the apex court had said in its ruling. He had added that the governor must work harmoniously with the Delhi government.Also read: The Delhi Amendment Bill Will Increase Rift Between Elected Government and CentreMamata, in her letter to Kejriwal, said it’s “time for a united and effective fight against the BJP’s attacks on democracy and the Constitution, especially with regard to its plans to dilute the powers of state governments and downgrade them to mere municipalities”.“The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which the BJP government at the Centre has introduced in the Lok Sabha, is a surgical strike on the federal structure of the Indian Republic as enshrined in the Constitution,” Banerjee said.She added that but for her commitments in the ongoing campaign for the assembly elections in Bengal, she would have personally come to Delhi to express her support and solidarity with Kejriwal.“I wish you success in your struggle. Your struggle is my struggle,” she said.The TMC chief also said that what the saffron party was trying to do in Delhi has been done in states that are governed by non-BJP parties. “In state after state governed by non-BJP parties, the Centre has been creating problems for the duly elected governments by misusing the office of the governors,” she said.“In many states, including in West Bengal, governors have been functioning like BJP’s office bearers and not as neutral constitutional authorities,” Banerjee alleged.