Accusing the government of attacking federalism, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday condemned the central ordinance on control of administrative services in Delhi and extended his party’s support to AAP in opposing it in Parliament when a bill will be brought to replace it.
The development comes after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal met Yechury at the CPI(M) office here, seeking the Left party’s support on the issue. Yechury appealed to the Congress and other opposition parties to support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the issue, saying promulgation of the ordinance on administrative services in Delhi is a “brazen violation” of the Constitution and this can happen with the government of any non-BJP party. He said the BJP government has been attacking the pillars of the Constitution — its federal structure — which he said was not only being “violated” but also destroyed.
“I appeal to all political parties to come forward to protest against this ordinance. Parties which have not condemned it so far should understand that today it is the Delhi government, tomorrow it could be Kerala, Rajasthan and other places where there is Congress government or states with governments of regional parties. The Modi government can go to any extent to destabilise non-BJP government,” Yechury said in a joint press briefing soon after the meeting with Kejriwal.
“We have condemned the ordinance brought by the Centre. It is unconstitutional. It is also contempt of court. We appeal to the biggest opposition party Congress to come forward to save our Constitution,” he asserted.
Kejriwal also said that when the ordinance comes up in Parliament, it is in the Rajya Sabha and that the opposition unity can reject it.
He said he has met TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Telanana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackaray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar over the matter.
