Ordinance row: Arvind Kejriwal seeks clarity over stance ahead of Opposition Parties meet

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has urged the opposition parties, including Congress, to make clear where they stand on the centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital before the opposition party meeting in Patna.

Kejriwal stated, “In the meeting on June 23, Congress will have to make its stand on the ordinance clear in front of everyone.”

According to reports on Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has threatened to miss tomorrow’s crucial opposition gathering if the Congress does not support its campaign against a divisive federal government law that intends to overhaul Delhi’s administrative services.

The action runs the danger of undermining attempts by India’s fragmented opposition to unite and plan for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The ordinance in question, introduced by the BJP-led government at the centre last month, seeks to take control of Delhi’s bureaucrats. The AAP has condemned the action, claiming it violates a recent Supreme Court decision giving the elected government of Delhi power over all services in the city save for police, public order, and land.

According to the sources, Congress has prepared a plan to get back at the two leaders, Kejriwal and Mamata in the meeting.

Who all are expected to attend the meet

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, and Mallikarjun Kharge, its president; Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC); MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and the head of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK); Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP); Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren, and Jammu and Kashmir’s Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti are expected to take part in Friday’s meeting.

Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Bhagwant Mann, and Mehbooba Mufti are scheduled to arrive in Patna on Thursday. Notably, Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to meet Lalu Yadav, the leader of the RJD and chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar, in the evening today.

Here’s what Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said

“No one will miss him (Arvind Kejriwal) if he doesn’t attend the meeting. We always knew that he was searching for excuses to not go to this meeting. Also, he must have got an order from the higher-ups to not take part in the meeting,” Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, on AAP allegedly threatening to skip the opposition meeting if Congress doesn’t support AAP against Centre’s ordinance.