"Hope Congress Is Asked To Clear Stand On...": Arvind Kejriwal On Big Meet

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday expressed hope that the Congress will be asked by other parties to clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance on the control of services in the national capital at the June 23 meeting of non-BJP parties in Patna.

The June 23 meeting of opposition parties, called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, will see anti-BJP players chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls.

At a press conference here, Mr Kejriwal, who is also the AAP national convener, said he will explain to the other leaders in the meeting how such an ordinance could be brought for even full-fledged states.

"I will take the Constitution with me and explain to them that the ordinance is not only for Delhi but can be brought in full states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and West Bengal. Such an ordinance can be brought on subjects like education, and electricity that are in the concurrent list," he asserted.

"I hope the parties will ask the Congress to clear its stand on the issue. The ordinance will be the first issue that will be discussed at the meeting," Mr Kejriwal said.

The Centre had on May 19 promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for the 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 comes 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 the transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre.

Transfer and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the lieutenant governor before the May 11 verdict of the top court.

Following the ordinance, Arvind Kejriwal has been reaching out to leaders of non-BJP parties to garner their support against the ordinance so that the Centre's bid to replace it through a Bill is defeated when it is brought in Parliament.

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