Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday urged non-BJP parties to unite and defeat in the Rajya Sabha the bill relating to the Centre’s ordinance on regulation 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 the former’s support 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. The Delhi chief minister said he would seek time for a meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday to discuss the issue.
“If all non-BJP parties unite, the bill can be defeated in the Rajya Sabha as no party has a majority in the Upper House of Parliament,” he said. Kejriwal said, “The ordinance has affected the federal structure of the country. Elected governments are not being allowed to function using ordinances, it is not good for the country.” 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.
He suggested, “Kejriwal should get all non-BJP parties to persuade as well. It is our responsibility to persuade everyone – be it the Congress or the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).” The former Union minister stressed the need for dialogue among all non-BJP parties to provide a stable and progressive government when the time comes, citing national interest as the priority. Pawar said that there is a need to save parliamentary democracy, NCP will support AAP in this matter. Describing Pawar as one of the tallest leaders of the country, Kejriwal thanked him for supporting AAP in its fight against the ordinance.
Kejriwal targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and alleged that if people vote for a non-BJP government, the party resorts to three methods (to topple that government) – buy MLAs from the ruling party, enforcement Show fear of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or issue an ordinance to ensure that the elected government is unable to function. Defeating the Centre’s ordinance is not a matter of politics, but a matter of the country and all parties who love the country should come together, the AAP leader said. Pawar said, “I have been an MP for 56 years. This is not about Delhi or AAP but about saving parliamentary democracy.” “Whether there is any need for a new one when a Parliament building already exists in the country is debatable.
When we get a chance, we will speak in Parliament,” Pawar said on a question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s May 28 inauguration of the new Parliament complex away from the opposition parties’ decision. Prime Ministerial candidate Former Union Minister Said that dialogue among non-BJP parties is necessary to give a stable and progressive government instead of projecting anyone as the prime ministerial candidate.
“But we have not yet spoken with the Congress or Arvind Kejriwal. We will talk when the time comes. National interest is the priority for us,” he added. On seat-sharing among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies in Maharashtra for the upcoming elections, Pawar said it has been decided that the three allies will nominate their respective leaders for the talks. “The process has not started yet, but we will find a solution,” he said. Kejriwal, who was on a visit to Mumbai, was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during his meeting with Pawar at the YB Chavan Center in South Mumbai. A top AAP leader on Wednesday met former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at his Bandra residence to seek his support on the ordinance issue.
Kejriwal and Mann met their West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday as part of their nationwide tour to drum up support for AAP’s fight against the Centre’s ordinance. The Center had last Friday promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, which the AAP government termed as a hoax with the Supreme Court’s decision on deregulation of services. The ordinance, which comes a week after the Supreme Court handed over control of services in Delhi except police, public order and land to the elected government, setting up a National Capital Civil Services Authority for transfer and disciplinary proceedings against the group Wanted – An officer of Danix Cadre. Prior to the apex court’s May 11 verdict, transfers and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the lieutenant governor.