Shillong, June 22: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has declared that it will boycott the scheduled opposition meeting in Patna on June 23 if the Congress party does not extend its support to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government in its fight against the recent ordinance proposed by the central government for the control of services. Sources close to the matter conveyed this information to India Today.
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief of AAP, has taken the initiative to write a letter to various opposition leaders, urging them to prioritize the Delhi ordinance as the primary agenda during the upcoming meeting. Kejriwal emphasized the significance of clear political stances and adopting a comprehensive perspective. He highlighted that if the bill is passed, it could have far-reaching implications for non-BJP-ruled states, encroaching upon the powers of state governments in matters listed in the concurrent list.
During a recent press conference, the Delhi Chief Minister voiced his expectations, stating, “I hope the parties will demand clarity from the Congress regarding its stance on this issue. The ordinance will be the foremost topic of discussion in the meeting.”
Arvind Kejriwal, as the convenor of AAP, has been rallying opposition support against the ordinance promulgated by the central government. The ordinance asserts that the lieutenant governor has the final authority in matters of transfers and postings of Delhi bureaucrats, superseding the Delhi government’s jurisdiction.
A galaxy of opposition leaders representing nearly 20 political parties is expected to converge in Patna for the significant opposition meet on Friday. The primary objective of this gathering is to devise a joint strategy to confront the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year.
The meeting was called by Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar and the leader of the Janata Dal (United), who has been intensifying his efforts to foster unity among opposition parties.