Delhi State Chief and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that he would travel across the country against the federal government’s ordinance related to control over administrative services in the nation's capital.
Tweeting in Hindi, Kejriwal said: “From today onwards, I will be travelling across the country for the rights of the people of Delhi. The Supreme Court did justice with the people of Delhi and gave them their rights by passing the order after years, but the federal government took away all those rights by bringing an ordinance.”
“When this law will be presented in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament), it should not be passed under any circumstances. Will meet presidents of all the political parties and seek their support,” he added.
Delhi State Chief Arvind Kejriwal to Travel Across Country Against Federal Government's Ordinance
© Photo : Twitter/@ArvindKejriwal
In another tweet, the top AAP politician said that “this fight is not only for the people of Delhi, rather it is the fight to save Indian democracy, to save the constitution, to save the judiciary.”
Urging everyone to support the cause, he asserted that the “fight is to save the country.”
What is Federal Government’s Ordinance?
Days after the Supreme Court of India passed an order that the Delhi government has control over the bureaucrats assigned to departments under its purview, the federal government issued an ordinance on Friday evening making the Delhi Lieutenant Governor the final authority to make decision about postings and transfers of Delhi officials.
Condemning the ordinance, AAP politician and Delhi Education Minister Atishi said that it had been introduced to "kill democracy".
“The Federal Government brought an ordinance late last night to kill democracy and the Constitution... (They brought it) in the dark of night at 11 p.m. (IST) after the Supreme Court went on summer vacation. Even they know that the ordinance is unconstitutional, and the SC will strike it down,” said Atishi.
The AAP said that the ordinance would be challenged in the top court once it reopens.
Kejriwal Seeks to Unite Indian Opposition Against Centre
The Delhi chief's current goal is to unify opposition parties against the ordinance brought by the Centre in making Delhi's Lieutenant Governor the final arbiter regarding the transfers and postings of the Delhi officials.
Kejriwal will meet West Bengal State Chief Mamata Banerjee today, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) politician Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, India’s main opposition party, Congress, said it agreed in principle that the federal government’s ordinance was undermining the top court’s order and the party would prefer to take a collective decision on their stance on siding with Kejriwal's AAP in Parliament.
“The Congress party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same,” party’s general secretary K.C. Venugopal said in a tweet on Monday night.
He further said that "the Party believes in the Rule of Law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, or political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party".
On Sunday, Bihar State Chief Nitish Kumar also held a meeting with Kejriwal at the latter’s residence in the national capital, following which, Kejriwal said that Kumar assured him of “full support” on the issue.