Kejriwal Requests Opposition Leader to Discuss Centre's Services Ordinance for Delhi at June 23 Meet

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to opposition parties to discuss the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital at the June 23 meeting of non-BJP parties in Patna while asserting that similar ordinances can be brought for other states too.

The Friday meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Kejriwal, who is also the AAP national convener, stressed the first thing to be discussed in the meeting should revolve around defeating the bill related to the Centre’s ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.

“The Centre has carried out an experiment in Delhi by bringing this ordinance. If it is successful, it will bring similar ordinances in non-BJP states and snatch away the powers of states with respect to subjects in the concurrent list,” he said in the letter dated June 20.

Kejriwal also said that the “day is not far when the prime minister will run 33 states through lieutenant governors and governors”.

The Centre had on May 19 promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for the 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 comes 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 the 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.

Following the ordinance, Kejriwal has been reaching out to leaders of non-BJP parties to garner their support against the ordinance so that the Centre’s bid to replace it through a Bill is defeated when it is brought in Parliament.