AAP to undertake door-to-door campaign, hold rally against services ordinance

AAP's Delhi convenor, Gopal Rai, said the campaign will run parallel to the party’s efforts to defeat the ordinance when it is presented in Rajya Sabha.

Ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will undertake a door-to-door campaign before holding a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on June 11 to mobilise public opinion against the ordinance issued last week to restore to the Union government the power over “services” in the national capital.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena. (PTI file)

AAP’s Delhi convener, Gopal Rai, said the campaign will run parallel to the party’s efforts to defeat the ordinance when it is presented for approval in Rajya Sabha. “The BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] has a majority in Lok Sabha. CM [chief minister Arvind] Kejriwal has said that we will contact all opposition parties to defeat the bill in Rajya Sabha,” he said.

Kejriwal, who on Sunday met his Bihar counterpart, Nitish Kumar, said the powers from the elected government were snatched. He sought unity among non-BJP parties to prevent parliamentary approval for the ordinance that was promulgated after the Supreme Court on May 11 ruled the Delhi government has control over bureaucrats assigned to departments under its purview.

Ordinances can be issued on any subject that Parliament has the power to make laws. They are required to receive the approval within six weeks of the reassembly of Parliament.

Kumar pledged support for Kejriwal and called for unity to prevent the BJP-led Union government from undermining democratic institutions and constitutional values.

Kejriwal, who called the fight in Rajya Sabha over the ordinance the “semi-final for the 2024 national polls”, is expected to meet his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday in Kolkata, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Wednesday and Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar a day later.

The Union government on Friday promulgated the ordinance, effectively nullifying a Supreme Court constitution bench’s judgment shifting the authority of controlling bureaucrats from the Lieutenant Governor (LG) to the Delhi government. The ordinance also provides for creating a National Capital Civil Service Authority and a Public Service Commission for transfers and postings of the officers.

The ordinance makes the LG the final authority, who can act in “sole discretion” in deciding the matters relating to the transfer and posting.

The AAP has said it will challenge the ordinance in the top court. The Union government on Sunday moved the Supreme Court for the review of its May 11 ruling granting the Delhi government control over services. It said the order has the effect of destroying the Constitution’s basic structure and amounts to giving the national capital the status of a full-fledged state.

Rai said their workers will go home to home to inform people about the ordinance and its impact in the run-up to the rally. He said the “black ordinance” reflects a dictatorial attitude being imposed on Delhi. “We appeal to the people of Delhi irrespective of party affiliations. Constitution gave us the right to vote and that right is being nullified. People of the capital will have to stand up because if democracy is destroyed in Delhi...it will be replicated in other parts of the country in coming days,” Rai said.

Rai said the constitution bench ruled in favour of the elected government but its powers have been hijacked through the ordinance. “BJP leaders are trying to justify this black ordinance. The BJP is arguing that the ordinance was needed as Delhi is the capital of the country and hosts embassies as if these are new developments. They do not even have good excuses to justify the ordinance.”

Rai said the ordinance attempts to reduce the value of votes they got to zero. “Ordinance reduced the value of 20 million people of Delhi. It effectively means the value of their votes is not equal to those in Uttar Pradesh. Now they do not even want Delhi to be the half state and effectively entire control is being transferred to LG.”

There was no immediate response from the BJP. On Sunday, BJP members of Parliament from Delhi argued in favour of the ordinance, saying the Union government must have a role in the national capital. They alleged that the AAP-led government was trying to shield itself from corruption cases by seeking to transfer officials.