Delhi ordinance a threat to democracy, says Telangana Chief Minister KCR, throwing his weight behind Arvind Kejriwal

The Central government brought the ordinance eight days after the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud gave the Delhi government all rights to control bureaucracy — barring police, land and public order — in the National Capital Territory.

The ordinance allowed the Centre to establish a statutory authority, the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA).

The NCCSA, comprising the Delhi chief minister and two senior IAS officials, would recommend “transfer, posting, vigilance and other incidental matters” related to the bureaucracy to the Lieutenant-Governor (LG).

Kejriwal is on a nationwide tour to garner the support of political parties to defeat the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Watch: At KCR’s show of Opposition unity, BJP and Congress come under attack

Challenge to democracy

Rao said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the 2023 Delhi municipal elections but the Delhi mayor was “tortured” by the BJP.

“The Modi government has insulted the people of Delhi who voted for the Aam Aadmi Party… First Karnataka has taught a lesson to the BJP government, now the whole country will… This is a threat to democracy,” he said.

“The Supreme Court’s judgment is being undermined by the Union government by bringing in an ordinance. This is reminiscent of the Emergency. This is exactly the same Emergency that Prime Minister Modi and the BJP leaders keep pointing out time and again… Earlier, the Allahabad High Court judgment was nullified by bringing in a constitutional amendment. This is the same model,” he added.

Promising to support the AAP government of Delhi in the Rajya Sabha, Rao demanded the prime minister to withdraw the ordinance.

“This is a challenge to democracy. All officials in a state should fall under the purview of the state government,” Rao said, strongly criticising the Union government for taking away the powers of the Delhi government.

Also read: ‘Misuse of central agencies’: Opposition parties on Sisodia arrest

Insult to Delhiites

While thanking Rao for his support, Kejriwal also called the ordinance an insult to the people of Delhi.

“When the prime minister doesn’t follow the Supreme Court, how can the country expect justice,” he asked.

The BJP government has snatched away the powers. They create chaos in non-BJP states, tried to topple the government and threaten politicians with probe agencies,” Kejriwal said while seeking support from all leaders against the ordinance.

Noting that Supreme Court cancelled the Centre’s notification after eight years of legal battle between Delhi and the Union government, Kejriwal said that the BJP-led Union government is challenging the people that if you choose non-BJP parties, “we won’t let it work”.

“Either they purchase MLAs, break MLAs by sending in ED and CBI or they bring in ordinances through the governors just similar to what is happening in Telangana,” he said, referring to the Telangana governor withholding several Bills without giving her assent.

The AAP national convener also noted that his predecessor and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had all offices under her control, including transfers and postings of officers, disciplinary actions, creation of new posts and others.

Kejriwal also claimed that if all Opposition parties come together against the ordinance, then the Bill could be defeated in the Rajya Sabha as BJP does not have a majority in the House. “Then it will be a semifinal before 2024 and the message that the BJP will be defeated will be clear,” he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Mann noted that in a democracy, the elected governments take decisions and not the selected people such as Governors.

Meanwhile, the three chief ministers skipped NITI Aayog’s eighth Governing Council meeting, which began in Delhi on Saturday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Modi.

Mann said that he would not attend NITI Aayog’s meetings merely to get pictures clicked.

“None of the funds we requested earlier have been released. There are so many flowers, but the BJP government only wants the lotus to bloom,” he added.