Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Sunday hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party and said the ordinance brought by the BJP-led government at the Center regarding transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi was aimed at checking the party’s alleged corruption.
Lekhi said, “The ordinance has been brought to check the corruption done by them (Aam Aadmi Party). Those (political leaders) who will come to support him will also be called corrupt. Kejriwal said he would seek the support of leaders of opposition parties against the Centre’s ordinance following the Supreme Court’s decision to empower AAP.
Arvind Kejriwal will meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai this week to seek their support against the Centre’s ordinance on transfer of bureaucrats in the national capital.
According to the Aam Aadmi Party, Kejriwal will meet Thackeray on May 24 and Pawar on May 25.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in the national capital on Sunday and extended his support to the AAP chief against promulgation of an ordinance to give back control of ‘services’ to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav was also present on this occasion.
On Friday, the central government brought in an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) with regard to ‘transfer postings, vigilance and other relevant matters’.
The ordinance has been brought to amend the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and override the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Center Vs Delhi.
Earlier on Saturday, AAP’s national convenor termed the move as “undemocratic and illegal”, alleging that it “attacks the basic structure of the Constitution”.
He also accused the Center of “challenging the apex court’s decision” and deliberately waiting for the court to close till 4 pm to pass the ordinance.
Kejriwal said, “To run the government efficiently, it is very important that the officers are under the control of the elected government, as also said by the court. On Friday the Supreme Court closed at 4 pm and they (Bharatiya Janata Party) brought the ordinance at 10 pm the same day.