The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has decided to lend support to the Aam Admi Party’s fight against the Central Ordinance bill passed by Modi government which will enable it to control the appointments and transfers of bureaucrats.
The Delhi Chief Minister, along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP’s Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, as well as Delhi minister Atishi met Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Later Kejriwal tweeted thanking Shiv Sena (UBT) for their support.
“Today the people of Delhi got the support of Shiv Sena and Uddhav ji. Anti-people and anti-Delhi law together will not be allowed to be passed in the Parliament. Many many thanks to Uddhav ji on behalf of the people of Delhi,” he tweeted.
The decision comes a day after Kejriwal met his West Bengal counterpart who agreed to support AAP and appealed to other opposition parties to do the same.
On May 11, the Supreme Court of India, in a unanimous verdict ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land.
“Further expansion of the Union’s power will be contrary to the Constitutional scheme…Delhi is similar to other states and has a representative form of government,” the top court said in its verdict over the contentious issue of administrative control over services between the Centre and the Delhi government.
However, Delhi’s Lieutenant governor overturned the ruling accusing the AAP dispensation of disregarding rules and procedure.
A visibly angry Delhi CM told reporters that Saxena’s decision was a mark of disrespect to the Constitution as well the highest court in the country.
“Why is LG sir not obeying the SC order? Why hasn’t the file pertaining to the Services Secretary been signed for two days? It is being said that the Centre is going to reverse the SC order by bringing an ordinance next week?
“Is the Centre conspiring to overturn the SC order? Is LG sir waiting for the ordinance and that’s why he is not signing the file?” Kejriwal asked in a tweet in Hindi.
The LG shot a letter to Kejriwal alleging “unconstitutional brazenness, intimidation and disregard of rules and procedures” by the AAP government following the SC verdict.
Saxena alleged that in the past one week, a “gloomy face of governance” emerged in Delhi. He added, “An organised, structured and specialised administrative machinery is yet again facing the brunt of the highhandedness.”
AAP’s chief replied saying he was “shocked” by its language and the issues raised through it, and added it smacked of “bickering”.
