Services row: BJP says Centre's ordinance necessary for maintaining Delhi's dignity

The BJP on Saturday welcomed the Centre's ordinance on the transfer and posting of bureaucrats in Delhi, alleging that the Kejriwal government was "intimidating" officers and "misusing" its powers under the cover of the recent Supreme Court verdict on services matter.

Speaking at a press conference, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the ordinance was necessary for maintaining the dignity of Delhi and protecting people's interests.

The Centre promulgated the ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer and posting of IAS and DANICS cadre officers under the Delhi government.

This came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, in Delhi to the elected government.

"Delhi is the national capital and whatever happens here has an impact all over the country and the world," Sachdeva said, adding the ordinance was necessary for maintaining Delhi's dignity.

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"Will you (Delhi government) resort to hooliganism and intimidation of officers, and misuse power under the cover of the Supreme Court verdict," he asked.

The BJP leader said his party will not remain a silent spectator.

Immediately after the Supreme Court verdict, Sachdeva charged, the Kejriwal government started "snatching" files from the Vigilance department related to probes into its "scams and corruption".

The lock of the vigilance officer's room at the Delhi Secretariat was broken and files related to the excise "scam", renovation of the chief minister's residence and the feedback unit probe were photocopied, he alleged.

With the creation of National Capital Civil Service Authority, the ordinance brings effective control of Delhi's bureaucracy into the hands of the Centre and its representative Lt Governor.

The Supreme Court in its judgement on May 11 gave the elected government in Delhi executive control over bureaucracy.

Earlier in the day, the AAP termed the ordinance "unconstitutional" and said it was a move to snatch the power given to the Delhi government by the Supreme Court in services matter.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said, "I wish (Chief Minister Arvind) Kejriwal studied the working strategy of his predecessor chief ministers in Delhi, then perhaps he would not have clashed with the Centre, the Lt Governor and the opposition parties."

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari alleged that Kejriwal is not concerned about clean water in Delhi's homes, resuming pension for the elderly, implementing Ayushman Yojana but his only interest is how to stop inquiry of corruption charges against his government.

Tiwari alleged that the "corrupt face" of Arvind Kejriwal has been completely exposed in front of the people of Delhi. His true image stands wide open, he added.

"Kejriwal is behaving wilfully like a street fighter and not like an elected representative of people sitting on a constitutional post, so it was very necessary to bring this ordinance," Tiwari said.

The Delhi BJP president said that Kejriwal was in a "frenzy" due to the ordinance because he considered election victory synonymous with "autocratic" power to rule.

The way Arvind Kejriwal himself and his party's MP Sanjay Singh have tried to project the ordinance brought by the Centre as "unconstitutional", it clearly shows that he wants to have "autocratic power" to "suppress" the corruption charges against his government, Sachdeva alleged.

Kejriwal, in a press conference, alleged that the Centre's ordinance was "unconstitutional" and his government will approach the Supreme Court against it.

The way the Kejriwal government is getting "nervous" after the promulgation of the ordinance, it seems he knows that the "arbitrary decisions" he wants to take are not possible with the officers present in the administrative authority.