'Eight-Year Long Struggle Ruined To Dust...': Kejriwal Thanks Opposition Leaders For Support Against Services Ordinance

Among the opposition leaders who assured Kejriwal their support against the ordinance in Rajya Sabha include Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and K Chandrasekhar Rao

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday thanked the opposition leaders for extending their support against the ordinance brought by the Centre which gave back the power of transfer posting of officers to the Lieutenant Governor, days after the Supreme Court gave judgment in favour of the Kejriwal dispensation. 

Last week, the Centre brought an ordinance to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority that will have the power to recommend the transfer and posting of all Group A officers and officers from Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services (DANICS) serving in Delhi. 

The ordinance came after a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on May 11 held that the Delhi government has “legislative and executive power over services” in the national capital.   

In a LinkedIn post, the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor termed the ordinance as “anti-Delhi” and said that with it, their eight years of struggle was “ruined to dust” within just eight days. 

“Immensely grateful for the overwhelming support garnered across the political spectrum for Aam Aadmi Party’s nationwide campaign against the Centre's unconstitutional ‘Anti-Delhi Ordinance” his post read.

“The 2015 notification by the BJP-ruled Centre stripped the Delhi government of its powers soon after AAP came to power. This led to an arduous eight-year battle and a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in Delhi’s favour. However, the Centre unfortunately overturned the decision through its Anti-Delhi Ordinance, disregarding the court's judgement. Within just eight days, our eight year long struggle was ruined to dust,” he added. 

“However, what comes as a positive development, leaders from influential non-BJP parties across the country have joined hands with us, recognising the urgency of this moment. Together, India’s leading opposition parties are now standing against the BJP-ruled Centre and fighting to safeguard democracy and our country's federal structure,” Kejriwal said. 

Among the opposition leaders who assured AAP their support against the ordinance in Rajya Sabha include Nitish Kumar (Janata Dal United), Tejashwi Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party), and K Chandrasekhar Rao (Bharat Rashtra Samithi). 

Kejriwal also thanked Left parties including CPI(M), CPI, CPIML Liberation, RSP, and the Forward Bloc “who have also joined the opposition against the ‘anti-Delhi’ ordinance and staged a protest, demanding its withdrawal.”