Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 23: After the JD(U)-RJD combination of Bihar, Trinamool Congress, the ruling party of West Bengal also extended its support to the Aam Aadmi Party and the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in his fight against the Delhi bureaucrat services ordinance promulgated by the BJP government at the Centre to nullify a Supreme Court judgement.
Kejriwal along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday called on the Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata with a single message – “what happened in Delhi today, can happen to any other opposition-ruled state tomorrow.” His plan to unite all non-BJP parties to defeat the bill to replace the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha was accepted by Banerjee. The Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and hid deputy Tejashwi Yadav had on Sunday given their stamp of approval on the Kejriwal plan.
Extending support to Kejriwal against the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, Banerjee urged all Opposition parties to oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha. With Kejriwal by her side, Ms. Banerjee said the ordinance has provided all the Opposition parties a “big opportunity” to defeat the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Trinamool Congress chairperson said if the Opposition can stall the ordinance it will give a strong message to the people. “From our party we have decided to oppose the ordinance in Rajya Sabha,” she said.
Emphasising that Delhi government employees are under the Delhi government, Ms. Banerjee said such ordinances are dangerous for the country. “We are afraid that they will change the name of the country and keep it on the name of their party. We are afraid that they will change the Constitution,” the West Bengal Chief Minister said addressing a press conference.
Kejriwal on a mission to unite the opposition on the issue said “This (the fight for control) is not just about Delhi. Even the West Bengal Governor does the same thing. Even (Bhagwant) Mann is alleging same. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister told me that the Governor sitting on lot of bills,” Kejriwal told the media during a briefing after the meet.
Ms Banerjee, one of the severest critics of the Centre, alleged that “atrocities” are being committed on Opposition-ruled states. “Only the Supreme Court can save the country,” she added. But even the Supreme Court’s rulings are being subverted, Ms Banerjee said. “The Supreme Court gave a strong verdict after so many years. But ultimately, the Central government will rule all states through ordinances and governors, letters… They don’t want to respect the verdict,” she added.
“What do they (the BJP) think? Are we their bonded labour? Are we their servants? We are worried that they may change the constitution and change the country’s name to party’s name. They want to bulldoze the constitution… It is a government of the bulldozer, by the bulldozer, for the bulldozer,” Ms Banerjee said.
Agreeing that the BJP “is a threat to the Constitution, Bhagwant Mann said, “If 30 Governors and a Prime Minister want to run the country, why spend so much on elections? If a Lieutenant Governor means a government, why are crores of people voting in elections?” The Ordinance passed late on Friday evening, overrides a recent order of the Supreme Court, which said the elected government is the boss of Delhi in terms of control of bureaucrats.
It creates a National Capital Civil Services Authority which is tasked with the postings and transfers of bureaucrats serving in Delhi. The Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and the Principal Home Secretary will be members who can vote on issues. The final arbiter is the Lieutenant Governor.
The judgment came after an eight-year tussle between the Centre and the Arvind Kejriwal government, following the Centre’s decision to place the Services department under the control of the Lieutenant Governor in 2015. But was nullified by the centre through the ordinance within days of the verdict of the five-judge constitution bench.
Kejriwal pointed out again that the Centre brought in the Ordinance after the Supreme Court went on vacation, “else it would have been stayed immediately.” The Aam Aadmi Party chief has already met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He expects to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar in the next two days in Mumbai to discuss the plan to block the Ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.
“They have made a joke of democracy,” Kejriwal said. The AAP national convenor said, adding that there were three ways by which the BJP was trying to disturb the elected government of the Opposition parties, either by buying MLAs, or using central investigating agencies and third was by using Governors and ordinance.
“This is not my fight alone. It is the fight of 140 crore people. It is the fight against the arrogance of the BJP that if people do not vote for BJP they will not let the Opposition government work,” he said. The Delhi Chief Minister said in several states like West Bengal and Punjab, Governors were trying to interfere with the functioning of the State governments.
Kejriwal said the police misbehaved with Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia while producing him before a court in Delhi. “This is not the way to treat a Deputy Chief Minister. He is an accused not a convict,” the Delhi Chief Minister said. The CBI had earlier this year arrested Mr. Sisodia in a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of Delhi. Ms. Banerjee also added that those who came to hand over summons to Abhishek Banerjeee also came at 2.30 am and spoke in a threatening tone.
A Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on May 11 held that the Delhi government can make laws and administer civil services in the national capital. Prior to this meeting, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal ( Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy had met Ms. Banerjee at the State Secretariat and discussed the issue of Opposition unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The Trinamool Congress has 12 MPs in the upper house of parliament. Sharad Pawar’s NCP has four MPs, and Shiv Sena (UBT) has three members in the Upper House. The bill on the matter is expected to be brought in parliament in the monsoon session, which begins in July, and the BJP is confident that it will be passed in both houses.
