NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the Congress of reaching an agreement with the BJP to support the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi.
This even as both the Congress and the AAP are part of the grand opposition meeting in Patna to prepare a roadmap for a united fight against the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“We have got information from reliable sources that a deal has been reached between the BJP and the Congress on this unconstitutional ordinance,” AAP chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said.
Kakkar wondered what was stopping the Congress from taking a stand against the ordinance, which she claimed is not just illegal but also against the spirit of the Constitution.
The Congress, meanwhile, has expressed surprise at AAP’s move to publicise the issue.
“Opposing it or proposing it does not happen outside, it happens in Parliament. Before Parliament begins, all parties decide what issues they have to work on together. They (AAP) know it and even their leaders come to our all-party meetings. I don’t know why there is so much publicity about it outside,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
“About 18-20 parties decide together on what to oppose and what to accept. So instead of saying anything now, we will take a decision before Parliament begins,” he said.
The Centre had on May 19 promulgated an 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.
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.
The Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous on the ordinance issue as to whether it would support the AAP or not when it is tabled in Parliament.
The Delhi unit of the Congress wants the central leadership to support the Centre’s ordinance. However, any such move could have a ripple effect on the unity efforts with Arvind Kejriwal making his stand clear.
Ahead of the mega opposition conclave, Arvind Kejriwal had written an open letter to all parties and asserted that the Congress will have to clear its stand on the Ordinance in front of everyone.
“There is a meeting of all the parties in Patna on June 23, I request that in this meeting, the stand of all the parties on this ordinance and the strategy to defeat it in the Parliament should be discussed first,” Kejriwal wrote in his letter.
“At the meeting on June 23, the Congress will have to clear its stand on the Ordinance in front of everyone,” he further wrote.
Clearly, Kejriwal will want a clear commitment from the Congress on the Ordinance issue.
(With inputs from agencies)
This even as both the Congress and the AAP are part of the grand opposition meeting in Patna to prepare a roadmap for a united fight against the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“We have got information from reliable sources that a deal has been reached between the BJP and the Congress on this unconstitutional ordinance,” AAP chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said.
Kakkar wondered what was stopping the Congress from taking a stand against the ordinance, which she claimed is not just illegal but also against the spirit of the Constitution.
The Congress, meanwhile, has expressed surprise at AAP’s move to publicise the issue.
“Opposing it or proposing it does not happen outside, it happens in Parliament. Before Parliament begins, all parties decide what issues they have to work on together. They (AAP) know it and even their leaders come to our all-party meetings. I don’t know why there is so much publicity about it outside,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
“About 18-20 parties decide together on what to oppose and what to accept. So instead of saying anything now, we will take a decision before Parliament begins,” he said.
The Centre had on May 19 promulgated an 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.
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.
The Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous on the ordinance issue as to whether it would support the AAP or not when it is tabled in Parliament.
The Delhi unit of the Congress wants the central leadership to support the Centre’s ordinance. However, any such move could have a ripple effect on the unity efforts with Arvind Kejriwal making his stand clear.
Ahead of the mega opposition conclave, Arvind Kejriwal had written an open letter to all parties and asserted that the Congress will have to clear its stand on the Ordinance in front of everyone.
“There is a meeting of all the parties in Patna on June 23, I request that in this meeting, the stand of all the parties on this ordinance and the strategy to defeat it in the Parliament should be discussed first,” Kejriwal wrote in his letter.
“At the meeting on June 23, the Congress will have to clear its stand on the Ordinance in front of everyone,” he further wrote.
Clearly, Kejriwal will want a clear commitment from the Congress on the Ordinance issue.
(With inputs from agencies)
