Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal continued his efforts to rally support against the Centre's Ordinance on control over administrative services in Delhi. On Friday, he met with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to seek his backing in opposing the Ordinance. Kejriwal had embarked on a nationwide tour on May 23 to garner support from Opposition parties against the Ordinance. Previously, he, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, met with Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and secured his support in their fight against the Centre's ordinance.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's strong opposition
During a joint press conference, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin expressed the DMK's firm opposition to the bill that would replace the Delhi services ordinance. He urged other Opposition leaders to support Arvind Kejriwal in his battle against the Ordinance.
Stalin described Kejriwal as a good friend and criticized the BJP-led government for pressuring Delhi's Union territory and the AAP government by utilizing the Lieutenant Governor. He emphasized that the DMK would strongly oppose the upcoming bill on Delhi and called on all leaders to stand behind Arvind Kejriwal.
Kejriwal's nationwide outreach
As part of his efforts, Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has held meetings with various Chief Ministers and political leaders across the country. He has met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.
Centre's ordinance and its implications
The Union government introduced an ordinance on May 19 to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) concerning matters such as transfer, posting, vigilance, and other incidental issues. The ordinance aims to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, and circumvents a Supreme Court judgment in the Centre vs. Delhi case.
