Mumbai: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has promised to support AAP in the issue of the Centre's ordinance on control of services in the national capital.
Kejriwal who is in Maharashtra to seek the support of Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar claimed the ordinance issued for control of services in Delhi implies the Narendra Modi government does not believe in the Supreme Court.
After meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convener Kejriwal said the Shiv Sena leader has promised to support the people of Delhi when the ordinance comes to the Rajya Sabha in the form of a bill. "This will be like a semi-final in the Rajya Sabha. If the bill is defeated in the Rajya Sabha, then the Modi government will not come back to power in 2024," Kejriwal claimed.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has three members in the Rajya Sabha. During the meeting with Thackeray, Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, as well as Delhi Minister Atishi. This was Kejriwal's second visit this year to 'Matoshree', the private residence of Thackeray in suburban Bandra.
Addressing a joint press conference with Thackeray, Kejriwal accused the Centre of using central agencies to topple state governments and referred to the collapse of the Thackeray government in Maharashtra last year. The ordinance on control of services in Delhi means the Modi government doesn't believe in the Supreme Court. The ordinance implies how can the Supreme Court give a judgment against us (the Centre), Kejriwal said.
Backing the AAP leader, Thackeray said the Supreme Court's order was important for democracy. "We have come together to defeat those against democracy. If we miss the train this time, then there will be no democracy in the country. We have come together to save the country and the Constitution," Thackeray said.
A day before meeting Thackeray, Kejriwal and Mann met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday. The leaders discussed the ordinance and sought Banerjee's support in opposing it. Banerjee emphasized the need for opposition parties to stand against the ordinance.
The Centre on Friday promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, with the AAP government calling the move a deception with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services. The ordinance, which 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, seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre.
Also read: Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Maan meet Uddhav Thackeray; to call on Sharad Pawar
