Delhi vs Centre ordinance row: ‘Have come together to defeat…’ Uddhav Thackeray after meeting Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
While addressing a joint press conference, Arvind Kejriwal accused the Centre of using central agencies to topple state governments, and referred to the collapse of the Thackeray government in Maharashtra last year.
PremiumFormer Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray on 24 May assured his support to AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in his fight against the Central ordinance to control appointments and transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi.
While addressing a joint press conference, Thackeray said, “We all have come together to save the country and democracy. I think we should not be called 'opposition' parties in fact they (Centre) should be called 'opposition' since they are against Democracy and Constitution."
On this Kejriwal added, “Uddhav Thackeray has promised us that they will support us in the Parliament and if this bill (ordinance) does not pass in the Parliament then in 2024, the Modi government will not be coming back to power."
Kejriwal who met Thackeray today was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, as well as Delhi minister Atishi.
Addressing a joint press conference, Kejriwal accused the Centre of using central agencies to topple state governments, and referred to the collapse of the Thackeray government in Maharashtra last year.
“The ordinance on control of services in Delhi means the Modi government doesn't believe in the Supreme Court," he said.
Kejriwal also claimed the ordinance issued for control of services in Delhi means the Modi government does not believe in the Supreme Court.
After meeting Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai, Kejriwal said state governments were being toppled by using the CBI and the ED.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kejriwal and Mann met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata who also assured support in his fight against the Central ordinance to control appointments and transfer of bureaucrats in the city-state.
Banerjee told newspersons, "We support AAP in the fight against the Central ordinance ...Request all parties not to vote for BJP's law (on controlling appointments in Delhi)".
She added, “It is a grand opportunity to defeat BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the Rajya Sabha as all the opposition parties are united on the issue of the ordinance".
Prior to that, Congress leader Ajay Maken came down heavily on Kejriwal and said how he can ask for their support against the Centre's ordinance, as his party has supported the BJP on crucial issues. Ajay Maken said that Kejriwal is a person who doesn’t think about the nation, and talks to Khalistani supporters. The remarks by Ajay Maken came a day after several senior leaders of Congress hinted that the party can oppose the Centre's ordinance on the control of bureaucracy in Delhi. The Congress leaders asked the Centre to honour the judgment of the Supreme Court and the transfer powers related to bureaucracy should rest in the hands of the elected government.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Friday promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, with the AAP government calling the move a deception with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services. After the ordinance, AAP termed the Ordinance an "act of dishonesty and treachery"
The ordinance came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in the national capital to the Delhi government, excluding those related to police, public order, and land.
The ordinance said that "there shall be an authority to be known as the National Capital Civil Service Authority to exercise the powers conferred on, and discharge the functions assigned to it".
The authority will comprise the chief minister of the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi as its chairperson, along with the chief secretary and the principal home secretary, who will be the member secretary to the authority, it said.
"All matters required to be decided by the authority shall be decided by the majority of votes of the members present and voting. All recommendations of the authority shall be authenticated by the member secretary," the ordinance said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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