“There should not be any alliance with AAP in Delhi”: Congress leaders told President Kharge

New Delhi [India] May 29 (ANI): In a meeting held on Monday with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab told him that there should not be any alliance with AAP in Delhi over the ordinance issue, according to sources.

They also told him the party should not be seen standing with the Aam Aadmi Party over the Center’s ordinance. Although, the leaders have left it to the high command to take a decision on the same.

Earlier, AAP Leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The matter pertains to the whole country, The national leadership of the Congress party should take a decision on its own instead of holding talks with its state units”. Earlier, Congress leaders including Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dixit, and Pratap Singh Bajwa were against supporting the Delhi CM.

Before, Kharge’s talk with the state units, AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “If the central government can snatch the power of the Delhi State Government by bringing an ordinance, this can happen in Karnataka too, Congress better think big”.

Speaking about Delhi Congress leaders, he said, “Some of the Delhi Congress leaders seem to work in cooperation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP leaders). If the BJP has to make a complaint to the Lieutenant Governor (LG), they take the assistance of the Delhi Congress leaders. This is all public. State units of every party make statements on their own level, what is important is what the Central leadership thinks of it. Though, it is their internal matter. We would not like to interfere. But we want President kharge to take a stand on his own”.

“We have always been having high hopes from the court. We will challenge the ordinance in the court. Legal experts say that if the ordinance goes to the court, it will not survive. And the authority to transfer and post Group-A officers will be handed over to the elected government again”, said Bharadwaj. Adding further, he said, “If it comes to the parliament, this matter relates to the whole country. This problem will occur in every state. If today, by bringing an ordinance, the constitution is being amended, then it can happen in the Congress-ruled states too. They (Congress) have recently won the Karnataka elections. Their powers will also be snatched by bringing an ordinance”.

Additionally, over Kejriwal’s talks with the Former Congress President Sitaram Yechuri, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “This is a matter of pride that every opposition party is sympathizing with AAP over Center’s ordinance. Parties which did not ever fight elections in Delhi, even they are standing with AAP and BJP gradually losing the majority”

The Supreme Court had passed a verdict handing over the authority to transfer Group-A officers in Delhi to the Delhi government. It said that the Delhi Government is democratically elected and is, therefore, accountable to the public. After this, the central government brought an ordinance creating for the first time a National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) that will have the power to create transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi as well as officers of DANIAS (Delhi, Andaman, Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu Administrative Service). NCCSA will be headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi along with the Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of the national capital.

After the centre’s ordinance on the authority over the transfer of Group-A officers in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party highly criticized the government saying that if the Prime Minister of the country refuses to deny Supreme Court’s order, where will people go for justice? AAP Supremo and Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal sought support from different parties to rebel against the Centre’s ordinance. Delhi Minister announced ‘Maha Raili’ at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan to raise its voice against the same. The AAP government also sought an appointment with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi.

Congress President’s meeting with general secretary KC Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi and leaders from Madhya Pradesh began at Congress headquarters in the national capital.