E-Paper
Rise above party line to oppose ordinance: Kejriwal to Congress
The Delhi Congress had a day earlier appealed to senior party leaders to not extend support to Kejriwal on the issue
A day after Delhi Congress leaders opposed any support to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal amid the Delhi government’s tussle with the Centre, the Delhi chief minister said the Congress should oppose the ordinance which is snatching the rights of the people of Delhi, and trying to crush the Constitution and democracy, even if they do not want to support Kejriwal.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday met Kejriwal on Tuesday and condemned the Centre’s ordinance that seeks to restore the Union government-appointed lieutenant governor’s control over the transfer and postings of bureaucrats in the Capital.
Kejriwal appealed to the Congress to oppose the ordinance. “...the leaders of the Congress seem to be saying that they do not want to support Kejriwal. This is not an issue about Kejriwal. This issue is about upholding the Constitution and following democratic principles. I would request them to forget about Kejriwal and not look at it in terms of supporting Kejriwal. They should look at it as an insult of the people of Delhi that has been caused due to an order of the Narendra Modi government,” Kejriwal said.
Yechury also made an appeal to the Congress and said that the biggest opposition party needs to make its stand on this issue clear. “Our appeal is to everyone and particularly the Congress as it is one of the biggest opposition political parties. We would like that the Congress party also sits across the table with us and discusses this issue, and together we will fight against those who are trying to throw away the constitutional norms of the country,” Yechury said.
The remarks came a day after Delhi Congress leaders met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi where they opposed extending any support to Kejriwal because of his “unpredictable past track record.”
No response was available from the Delhi Congress on the development.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva hit out at the chief minister.
“It is surprising to see Kejriwal knocking at the doors of the leaders who he not only called corrupt but against whom he is contesting elections across the country,” Sachdeva said.
