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Congress not a team player, must clear ordinance stance: AAP after Patna Opposition meet
AAP may skip future meetings where Congress is present if it doesn't denounce a controversial ordinance granting the Centre control over Delhi's bureaucracy.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said that it will find it difficult to attend future meetings of opposition parties where the Congress is present if the latter does not publicly denounce a controversial ordinance granting the Centre control over Delhi’s bureaucracy, highlighting fissures within the opposition camp.
Four leaders from the AAP – Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, and parliamentarians Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh – attended the meeting at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s residence, but hours later, the party released a statement strongly criticising the Congress.
Read: Before opposition's meet, 'Rahul Gandhi, BJP have an agreement', alleges AAP
The statement said that in the meeting, many political parties urged the Congress to publicly denounce the ordinance. “However, the Congress refused to do so,” added the statement that was issued even as other opposition leaders were speaking in a joint press conference in Patna, which the AAP leaders skipped.
“In personal discussions, senior Congress leaders have hinted that their party might informally or formally abstain from voting on it in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress’ abstention from voting on this issue will help the BJP immensely in furthering its attack on Indian democracy. It is high time that Congress decides whether it stands with the people of Delhi or the Modi government,” the statement said.
In the meeting, people aware of developments said that Kejriwal insisted that the Congress must clarify its stand on the ordinance in this meeting. But Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge maintained that any such decision could only be taken after the Congress discussed the issue in its parliamentary party meeting. “We have a system in place,” Kharge said, according to the people cited above.
While the issue of the ordinance is important given that it has wider ramifications and is not limited to one state, the meeting was also a moment where opposition parties rose above their differences to forge a national political strategy and narrative.
Read: Nitish Kumar explains why AAP was not part of Opposition presser in Patna
Last month, the Centre promulgated an ordinance restoring to itself the power over services in Delhi by making a raft of major amendments in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991. The ordinance effectively rolled back a Constitution bench judgment of the Supreme Court that handed over control of the bureaucracy in the Capital to the elected government, excluding those connected to police, public order and land.
The ordinance is likely to be brought before Parliament in the upcoming monsoon session for approval, presenting a key challenge for Opposition unity. While several parties such as the Trinamool Congress, Left parties and Bharat Rashtra samithi have assured the AAP of support, the Congress is yet to make a public declaration.
“The black ordinance is anti-constitutional, anti-federalism, and outright undemocratic…Congress’s hesitation and refusal to act as a team player, especially on an issue as important as this one, would make it very difficult for the AAP to be a part of any alliance that includes Congress. Until the Congress publicly denounces the Black Ordinance and declares that all 31 of its RS MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant,” the AAP statement said.
Two Opposition leaders said that Kejriwal didn’t threaten to walk out of the meeting but insisted that the ordinance issue is important. “Mamata Banerjee played the referee and suggested that Congress leaders and Kejriwal sit over a cup of tea and discuss the issue. She also suggested that instead of focusing on the ordinance, the meeting must focus on positive issues,” said one of the leaders quoted above.
People aware of developments said AAP leaders were keen that an announcement of the ‘s resolve to oppose the ordinance should be announced at the press conference but it didn’t find much support from the Congress.
“The AAP was keen that an announcement be made that the Opposition would oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha. But there was a view among leaders that when the time comes, the ordinance would be opposed in the Rajya Sabha,” said a senior leader of Bihar’s ruling grand alliance, requesting anonymity.
Over the past month, Kejriwal has met several Opposition leaders to garner support against the ordinance.
ANY ON RECORD CONG RESPONSE
