JOIN USSamajwadi Party announces support to AAP over Central ordinance
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday announced his party's support to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in the national capital after a meeting here with the AAP convener.
"If their ordinance falls in the Rajya Sabha, it will send a strong message to the country that the Modi government is not returning to power," Kejriwal told a joint press conference after the meeting.
Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other party leaders at the meeting.
"We had discussion with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav...we thank him as he has assured his party's support to us," Kejriwal said.
The SP chief termed the ordinance as "anti-democratic" and said, "My party is with you (Kejriwal)." "The intention of ordinance is anti-democratic. I assure that Samajwadi Party will fully support you on the issue," Yadav said.
Praising the AAP government's work in Delhi, Yadav said, "The BJP is not liking the good work that you are doing in the field of education and health, as they feel that the people of Delhi might wipe out them".
Asserting that his party will also approach the Supreme Court on the issue, Delhi CM Kejriwal said, "The BJP does not have majority in the Rajya Sabha, where it has only 93 members out of 238. If all the non-BJP parties unite, this ordinance can be defeated in the Upper House. It will be the semifinal of the 2024 polls."
The Aam Aadmi Party chief has been reaching out to leaders of non-BJP parties to garner their support against the ordinance so that the Centre's bid to replace it through a Bill is defeated when it is brought in Parliament.
When asked if the next year's Lok Sabha elections were discussed in the meeting, Kejriwal said, "No talks were held about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections."
"But we all are together...whatever is required to do for saving the country, will be done," he said.
Elaborating on the ordinance, Kejriwal said that the Modi government snatched all the powers by bringing a notification. "The powers of the elected government on the bureaucrats (transfer, posting, disciplinary proceedings, action on corruption) were taken away from the AAP government," he said.
After the eight-year-long fight, on May 11, the Supreme Court's Constitution bench gave a verdict that all powers should be vested in the elected government, he said, adding that the orders were clear.
"It took eight years for the people of Delhi to get their rights but Modiji took only eight days as the ordinance was brought on May 19 and the SC verdict was cancelled," Kejriwal said.
Alleging that May 19 was chosen for doing so as the summer vacation of the apex court started on that day, Kejriwal said, "Had they brought the ordinance two days earlier, we would have got a stay from the Supreme Court. Now, we will have to wait for a month...we will move the court once it reopens."
Punjab Chief Minister Mann said that this fight is not only for the people of Delhi but for the entire countrymen.
"India is the biggest democracy of the world, but the axe of ordinance is made to fall on democracy. Besides, elected governments are harassed through the governors," he said.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have so far extended their support to the AAP over the ordinance issue.
Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin have also supported Kejriwal in the matter.
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.
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 the 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 top court's May 11 verdict.