Kejriwal asks Cong to choose between Constitution and Modi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on a nationwide tour seeking support against the Central ordinance on control over administrative services in the national capital, on Friday said Congress has to decide whether it is with democracy, constitution, 140 crore people of the country or with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kejriwal’s remarks come as several opposition parties have extended support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the Delhi Ordinance but Congress is yet to take a call.

“Today, the Congress has to decide whether it is with democracy, constitution, 140 crore people of the country or with Modi Ji,” said Kejriwal after meeting Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in Ranchi today, ANI reported.

“The ordinance will now go to the Parliament. BJP has the majority in Lok Sabha but in Rajya Sabha, it only has 93 out of 238 members. So, if all the non-BJP parties come together, this bill can be defeated,” he added.

The AAP supremo has been reaching out to leaders of non-BJP parties to garner support against the ordinance so that the Centre’s bid to replace it through a bill is defeated when it is brought in Parliament. So far Kejriwal has met Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

However, Congress leadership is yet to meet Kejriwal as some of its state units especially Punjab and Delhi have raised objections over support to the AAP. “I have sought an appointment with Congress President Kharge ji and Rahul ji, and I am waiting for their response. I am confident that Congress should support us,” Kejriwal had said.

Kejriwal also thanked Soren for assuring his support against the ordinance. “I would also urge other parties to come against this undemocratic ordinance. This is an attack on the foundation of democracy. The way elected governments are toppled and ordinances are brought, we all have to come together.”

The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the 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 apex court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government. It 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.