NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal has written to leaders of non-BJP parties and urged them to make their stand on the Centre’s ordinance pertaining to services in Delhi clear during the meeting of opposition parties in Patna on June 23. He also sought that the issue be listed top of the agenda for the meeting.
The Friday meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar in Patna to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress which has not yet met Kejriwal despite his asking for time to discuss the issue will also be attending the meeting in Patna and what position it takes will be crucial as the party has 31 members — the largest among all opposition outfits in the Rajya Sabha. For Kejriwal, Congress support to defeat the ordinance in Rajya Sabha is critical.
It is learnt that the letter by Kejriwal has also been sent to the Congress among all other opposition parties. Highlighting the importance of the issue in his letter dated June 20, Kejriwal cautioned the opposition parties to look at it in a holistic manner and not think about it as a “Delhi-centric” problem. He shared his apprehension that if this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, then similar orders will be imposed on other non-BJP ruled states as well. “The day is not far when the Prime Minister will run 33 states through lieutenant governors and governors,” Kejriwal said, adding, “I request all parties to clear their stand on the ordinance in the meeting and also discuss the strategy to defeat this in parliament.”
In his letter, Kejriwal expressed his gratitude to all non-BJP parties who he has reached out to since the ordinance came and who have shown support for standing in solidarity with the citizens of Delhi and firmly opposing the unconstitutional ordinance promulgated by the Centre.
In his letter, Kejriwal said, “I have studied this matter thoroughly. It would be wrong to assume that such an order can only be imposed in the context of Delhi because Delhi is a half-state. Through a similar order, the central government can strip away all the rights of any full-fledged state mentioned in the concurrent list,” he claimed in his letter. To elaborate on this, Kejriwal gave examples to claim that the central government can completely take away the authority of states over subjects like electricity, education, trade, and other issues through such an order.
Kejriwal further wrote that if this ordinance is introduced in the Parliament in the form of a Bill, it is very important for the opposition parties to come together and defeat it. “If this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, it will be the end of democracy in Delhi. The people of Delhi will have no power to choose the government they desire. The central government will directly govern Delhi through the lieutenant governor,” the Delhi CM alleged.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal had made a strong public statement directed at the Congress where he said that the latter will be asked to clear its stand on the ordinance in the meeting of opposition parties.
Responding to a query during a press conference on Tuesday, Kejriwal had said, “I hope that the Congress will make its stand clear, as all the other political parties in that meeting will ask the Congress about its stand.”
The Friday meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar in Patna to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress which has not yet met Kejriwal despite his asking for time to discuss the issue will also be attending the meeting in Patna and what position it takes will be crucial as the party has 31 members — the largest among all opposition outfits in the Rajya Sabha. For Kejriwal, Congress support to defeat the ordinance in Rajya Sabha is critical.
It is learnt that the letter by Kejriwal has also been sent to the Congress among all other opposition parties. Highlighting the importance of the issue in his letter dated June 20, Kejriwal cautioned the opposition parties to look at it in a holistic manner and not think about it as a “Delhi-centric” problem. He shared his apprehension that if this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, then similar orders will be imposed on other non-BJP ruled states as well. “The day is not far when the Prime Minister will run 33 states through lieutenant governors and governors,” Kejriwal said, adding, “I request all parties to clear their stand on the ordinance in the meeting and also discuss the strategy to defeat this in parliament.”
In his letter, Kejriwal expressed his gratitude to all non-BJP parties who he has reached out to since the ordinance came and who have shown support for standing in solidarity with the citizens of Delhi and firmly opposing the unconstitutional ordinance promulgated by the Centre.
In his letter, Kejriwal said, “I have studied this matter thoroughly. It would be wrong to assume that such an order can only be imposed in the context of Delhi because Delhi is a half-state. Through a similar order, the central government can strip away all the rights of any full-fledged state mentioned in the concurrent list,” he claimed in his letter. To elaborate on this, Kejriwal gave examples to claim that the central government can completely take away the authority of states over subjects like electricity, education, trade, and other issues through such an order.
Kejriwal further wrote that if this ordinance is introduced in the Parliament in the form of a Bill, it is very important for the opposition parties to come together and defeat it. “If this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, it will be the end of democracy in Delhi. The people of Delhi will have no power to choose the government they desire. The central government will directly govern Delhi through the lieutenant governor,” the Delhi CM alleged.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal had made a strong public statement directed at the Congress where he said that the latter will be asked to clear its stand on the ordinance in the meeting of opposition parties.
Responding to a query during a press conference on Tuesday, Kejriwal had said, “I hope that the Congress will make its stand clear, as all the other political parties in that meeting will ask the Congress about its stand.”