NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday supported Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the issue of the Delhi service ordinance brought by the central government.
Bihar CM Kumar and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav promised CM Kejriwal that their party would object to the ordinance in parliament. The duo also promises to unite other opposition parties on the issue.
On Saturday, CM Kejriwal said that he will seek the support of other opposition parties and will request that they oppose the ordinance in Rajya Sabha.
The Delhi ordinance on services was promulgated by the central government for the formation of the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCSA) for the transfer postings of the officers, giving the power of their appointment to two secretaries and the LG of Delhi.
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The AAP-led Delhi government had condemned the ordinance and said that they would go to court against the centre’s decision to “overrule” the Supreme Court judgement.
CM Kejriwal is scheduled to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Udhav Thackeray, and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on May 24 and May 25, respectively. He will also go to Kolkata on May 23 to meet West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
On Sunday, Bihar CM, along with Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and other leaders of the state, met CM Kejriwal at his residence. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was also present at the meeting.
Expressing his determination, CM Kejriwal stated that the opposition must unite to defeat the Centre’s dictatorial ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.
ALSO READ: We oppose ordinance, will go to court: Arvind Kejriwal
“If we succeed in thwarting this unconstitutional Ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be akin to the semi-final of 2024, sending a strong message that the BJP government’s days are numbered,” he said.
“The Supreme Court, in its order, very clearly said that the government officials of the Delhi government should be answerable to the democratically elected state government. But within eight days of the order being issued by the courts, the Central Government brought an ordinance and overturned the court order,” CM Kejriwal later said.
“With the ordinance, the Central Government has illegally snatched the powers that were restored to the state government and essentially given the LG the powers to run the National Capital. It was a unanimous decision of a constitution bench that was overturned by the Central Government within eight days,” he said.
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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that he was very happy when, on May 11, the Supreme Court unanimously gave its verdict in favour of the Delhi Government. He also added that he was shocked by the manner in which the central government decided to trample on the constitution after the SC order.
“When the Supreme Court order came out on May 11, we were very happy that justice had been done with the state government here. But since then, whatever the Central Government has been involved in doing is very shameful,” the veteran Janata Dal (United) leader said.
“This country is supposed to be run following the ideals of the constitution. The Constitution of India clearly states that a state government cannot be bossed around by the central government. But what the BJP is doing at the centre is shameful. This is the reason I am travelling around the country uniting all the opposition parties,” CM Kumar said.
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Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav asked, “If the BJP was in power in Delhi, then would the LG have done the kind of things that he has been doing over here right now?”
“I can say this with full certainty, the more they trouble Arvind Kejriwal, the stronger he is going to become. One thing I would like to say is that the BJP will never be able to come to power in Delhi,” Yadav, who is the son of former Union Railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, said.