Ordinance on control of services in Delhi means Modi govt doesn't believe in Supreme Court: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed the ordinance issued for control of services in Delhi means the Narendra Modi government does not believe in the Supreme Court.

After meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai, Kejriwal said state governments were being toppled by using the CBI and the ED. Slamming the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Thackeray said they have come together to defeat forces that are against democracy.

Read | Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann meet Uddhav Thackeray; seeks Sena support in tussle against Centre

Kejriwal met Thackeray to seek support for the AAP's fight against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in Delhi. He was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, as well as Delhi minister Atishi.

Addressing a joint press conference with Thackeray, 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. Thackeray said, “We have come together to defeat those against democracy."

Kejriwal said Thackeray has agreed to vote against the bill (on control of services in Delhi) when it comes before the Rajya Sabha. On Tuesday, Kejriwal and Mann met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata as part of their nationwide tour to garner support for the AAP's fight against the Centre's ordinance.

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.

The ordinance, which 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, 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 verdict of the apex court.