Akhilesh to support AAP over Ordinance issue

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday announced his party's support to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in the national capital after a meeting here with the AAP convener. "If their ordinance falls in the Rajya Sabha, it will send a strong message to the country that the Modi government is not returning to power," Kejriwal told a joint press conference after the meeting. Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other party leaders at the meeting. "We had discussion with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav...we thank him as he has assured his party's support to us," Kejriwal said. The SP chief termed the ordinance as "anti-democratic" and said, "My party is with you (Kejriwal)."

"The intention of ordinance is anti-democratic. I assure that Samajwadi Party will fully support you on the issue," Yadav said.

Praising the AAP government's work in Delhi, Yadav said, "The BJP is not liking the good work that you are doing in the field of education and health, as they feel that the people of Delhi might wipe out them," Yadav said.

Asserting that his party will also approach the Supreme Court on the issue, Delhi CM Kejriwal said, "The BJP does not have majority in the Rajya Sabha, where it has only 93 members out of 238. If all the non-BJP parties unite, this ordinance can be defeated in the Upper House. It will be the semifinal of the 2024 polls." The Aam Aadmi Party chief 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.

When asked if the next year's Lok Sabha elections were discussed in the meeting, Kejriwal said, "No talks were held about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections."

"But we all are together...whatever is required to do for saving the country, will be done," he said.

Elaborating on the ordinance, Kejriwal said that the Modi government snatched all the powers by bringing a notification. "The powers of the elected government on the bureaucrats (transfer, posting, disciplinary proceedings, action on corruption) were taken away from the AAP government," he said.

After the eight-year-long fight, on May 11, the Supreme Court's Constitution bench gave a verdict that all powers should be vested in the elected government, he said, adding that the orders were clear.

"It took eight years for the people of Delhi to get their rights but Modiji took only eight days as the ordinance was brought on May 19 and the SC verdict was cancelled," Kejriwal said.