Kejriwal thanks Kharge for Congress’ support on Delhi Ordinance

PTI, Jul 17, 2023, 1:50 PM IST

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for extending his party’ support to the AAP on Delhi Ordinace, saying the issue should be fought tooth and nail.

Kejriwal’s remark comes ahead of a crucial two-day meeting of the 26 opposition parties scheduled to start in Bengaluru later in the day with an agenda to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

”Thank you Kharge ji for standing with the people of Delhi. This ordinance is anti-India and anti-national and ought to be fought tooth and nail,” The Aam Aadmi Party national convenor said in a tweet.

The BJP-led central government had in May brought an ordinance on the transfer and posting of bureaucrats in Delhi, virtually negating an earlier Supreme Court verdict that had given the elected government in Delhi the control over services matters.

The ordinance 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 May 11 verdict of the apex court.

The Congress had on Sunday made it clear it will not support the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi and will oppose any such attempt of the central government to ”sabotage federalism” in the country.

The AAP, which governs Delhi, welcomed the Congress’ stand on the issue, saying the party’s ”unequivocal opposition” to the Delhi ordinance was ”a positive development.”

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had on Sunday, after a meeting of its Political Affairs Committee — the party’s highest decision-making body –, announced that it will attend the opposition meeting in Bengaluru .

The party had earlier said it would join the meeting in Bengaluru only if the Congress extended its support to the AAP in opposing the Delhi ordinance in Parliament.