Ordinance Row: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Seeks Time To Meet Congress Chief Kharge, Rahul Gandhi

Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is the AAP's national convener, has sought support of various political parties, including the NCP, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the TMC, on the Delhi services issue.

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought time to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi for their support to oppose the Centre's ordinance on control of services in Delhi. The Centre on May 19 had promulgated the ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, which the AAP government had called a deception with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.

"Sought time this morning to meet Congress president Kharge ji and Rahul Gandhi ji to seek Congress support in Parliament against undemocratic and unconstitutional ordinance passed by BJP government and also to discuss general assault on federal structure and prevailing political situation," Kejriwal tweeted. The ordinance came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government. It seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre.

Transfer and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the lieutenant governor before the May 11 top court verdict. Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is the AAP's national convener, has sought support of various political parties, including the NCP, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the TMC, on the Delhi services issue.

Kejriwal on Thursday urged the non-BJP parties to unite and defeat in the Rajya Sabha the bill related to the Centre's ordinance on control of services in the national capital. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor was addressing a press conference after meeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who assured to support the former in his party's fight against the ordinance. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray have assured their support to Kejriwal in this matter. 

"If all non-BJP parties unite, the bill can be defeated in the Rajya Sabha as no party enjoys majority in the Upper House of Parliament," he said. "The ordinance has affected the federal structure of the country. Elected governments not being allowed to work by using ordinances is not good for the country," Kejriwal added. 

Pawar, who was present at the press conference, said the right of elected governments to govern needs to be protected and said all non-BJP parties should support the AAP in this matter. "Kejriwal should also meet all non-BJP parties to convince them. It is our responsibility to persuade everyone - be it Congress or Biju Janata Dal (BJD)," he suggested.