RANCHI: In a big political victory for Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha led by Chief Minister Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren on Friday extended its support to the AAP government and pledged to defeat the Centre’s Delhi Services Ordinance in Parliament. Assuring his support to his Delhi counterpart, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said, “Centre’s attack on democracy is a matter of serious concern. JMM will support the AAP in opposing the Central ordinance on control of administrative services in Delhi.”
#WATCH | Delhi CM & AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann meet Jharkhand CM and JMM executive president Hemant Soren in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/46REaFDoyf
— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2023
The JMM leader made these remarks after meeting Delhi and Punjab Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann in Ranchi. Kejriwal and Mann arrived here on a special flight from Chennai around 9 pm on Thursday accompanied by AAP MPs Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh besides AAP MLA Atishi.
Jharkhand CM and JMM executive president Hemant Soren welcomes Delhi CM & AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and other AAP leaders to his residence in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/dd5coMNz5x
— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2023
Speaking on his turn, Kejriwal said that the Centre will be allowed to suppress the democratic rights of people, adding that the “ordinance must be collectively defeated in Parliament.” “The Centre is creating a crisis for the Aam Aadmi Party and is preventing a duly elected government from functioning independently.” the Delhi CM said.
“Despite the Supreme Court verdict in favour of the AAP government (the apex court had ruled that the control over transfer and posting of top bureaucrats in Delhi would vest with the state government), the Centre brought the ordinance,” Kejriwal stressed. He described the movement against the ordinance “like a fight for independence”.
Kejriwal along with senior AAP leaders is meeting top Opposition party leaders to shore up support against the Centre’s Ordinance on control over administrative services in Delhi.
The Delhi CM on Thursday met Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin in a bid to drum up support from the Opposition against the Centre’s ordinance. After the meeting, Kejriwal said that he was assured that DMK will stand by AAP and the people of Delhi. During his meeting with Tamil Nadu in Chennai on Thursday, Kejriwal was accompanied by Bhagwant Mann, party leaders Raghav Chaddha and Atishi.
Notably, Kejriwal had on May 23 embarked on a nationwide tour to seek support from the Opposition parties against the Ordinance. Taking to Twitter, the Delhi CM stated, “Will be meeting Tamil Nadu CM Thiru @mkstalin in Chennai tomorrow (1st June) to seek DMK’s support against Centre’s unconstitutional-undemocratic ‘Anti-Delhi’ Ordinance”.
“On June 2, I will meet the Chief Minister of Jharkhand Mr @HemantSorenJMM ji in Ranchi. Will seek their support against the ordinance passed by the Modi government against the people of Delhi,” Kejriwal had said in a tweet.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor has so far met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.
In a big victory for Kejriwal, a five-judge constitution bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, ruled in favour of the Delhi government on May 11, giving it control over the appointment and transfer of bureaucrats, excluding public order, police, and land affairs.
However, the Union government on May 19 brought an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the ‘transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters’.
The ordinance was brought to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and it circumvents the Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case.