Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray agrees to vote against ordinance in Rajya Sabha, says Arvind Kejriwal

Pic/Atul Kamble

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that that the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has agreed to vote against the bill (on control of services in Delhi) when it comes before the Rajya Sabha.

After meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai, Kejriwal claimed the ordinance issued for control of services in Delhi means the Narendra Modi government does not believe in the Supreme Court.

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The Delhi Chief Minister further said that the state governments were being toppled by using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Slamming the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Uddhav Thackeray said they have come together to defeat forces that are against democracy.

Also Read: Mumbai: Arvind Kejriwal meets Uddhav Thackeray to seek support for AAP's fight against Centre's ordinance in Delhi

Addressing a joint press conference, Kejriwal accused the Centre of using central agencies to topple state governments, and referred to the collapse of the Thackeray government in Maharashtra last year.

"The ordinance on control of services in Delhi means the Modi government doesn't believe in the Supreme Court," he said.

Kejriwal said Thackeray has agreed to vote against the bill (on control of services in Delhi) when it comes before the Rajya Sabha.

"Uddhav Thackeray has promised us that they will support us in the Parliament and if this ordinance does not pass in the Parliament then in 2024, the Modi government will not be coming back to power," Kejriwal said.

Thackeray said, "We all have come together to save the country and democracy. I think we should not be called 'opposition' parties in fact they (Centre) should be called 'opposition' since they are against Democracy and Constitution."

Kejriwal met Thackeray to seek support for the AAP's fight against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in Delhi.

He was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, as well as Delhi minister Atishi.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal and Mann met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata as part of their nationwide tour to garner support for the AAP's fight against the Centre's ordinance.

The Centre on Friday promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for 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 came 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 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 apex court.

(With inputs from PTI)