Delhi, Punjab Cong asks Kharge not to support Kejriwal on Ordinance row

This meet comes as Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has sought time from Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to talk and seek support on the Ordinance row. 

The Centre on May 19 had promulgated the ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, which the AAP government had called a deception with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had convened a meeting of leaders from the two states for seeking their opinion on the matter. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was also present during the meetings.

The sources said a majority of the leaders told the leadership to have no truck with Arvind Kejriwal, calling him a “B-team” of the BJP and claiming he harmed the Congress’ interests not only in Delhi and Punjab but other states as well.

“All leaders clearly said the AAP shouldn’t be supported in the matter of Ordinance but the final call is with the high command. However, the Delhi Congress views the matter of ordinance as a state government issue and not as an issue of any individual or as a matter of showing support to the AAP,” a person familiar with the events in Congress told PTI.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring told reporters after the meeting they have put across their views before the party high command and left the final decision to it.

“All the leaders have said the party high command will decide and we have left it to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to take the final decision,” Raja Warring told reporters after the meeting.

Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is the AAP’s national convener, has sought support of various political parties, including the NCP, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the TMC, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on the Delhi services issue.

Updated: 29 May 2023, 10:00 PM IST