Ordinance Row — 'Where Was He When Article 370 Was Removed?': Omar Abdullah On Kejriwal Seeking Oppn Support

NC leader Omar Abdullah took a swipe at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for seeking opposition supports against the Centre's ordinance. He said that Kejriwal supported the removal of Article 370.

National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken a swipe at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for trying to gather support against an ordinance promulgated by Centre on services row in the national capital. Abdullah asked where Kejriwal was when the Centre scrapped Article 370 from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the AAP convenor backed the government then and now asking for support from other parties.

The comments came after the Delhi CM reached out to leaders of various political parties across the country to gain a majority in the Upper House to nullify the ordinance. 

Speaking to the media persons in Rajouri, Abdullah said, "Where was Arvind Kejriwal when Article 370 was scrapped? He supported the govt that time and today he is asking for support from other parties."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Wednesday and received an assurance from the Samajwadi Party chief on support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of services. The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party has been reaching out to leaders of the Opposition 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.

"The ordinance is anti-democratic. I want to assure CM Arvind Kejriwal that Samajwadi Party is with you and will support you," Akhilesh Yadav said.

Kejriwal said the ordinance can be defeated in Rajya Sabha if non-BJP parties unite and it would send a strong message to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. 

"If non-BJP parties come together then this ordinance can be defeated in Rajya Sabha and it will send a strong message that the Modi govt is not coming to power in 2024. I thank SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who has assured us that his party will support us in Rajya Sabha," the Delhi CM said.

So far, CM Kejriwal held a meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, Telangana CM KCR, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.

The Centre on May 19 had promulgated the Ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, which the AAP government called a deception with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.