Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to non-BJP parties urging them to discuss the Centre’s ordinance that effectively nullifies the Supreme Court order over control of services in Delhi during the Opposition parties’ meet in Patna on June 23.
He alleged that similar ordinances could be brought for other states too.
In his letter, Kejriwal has urged the parties to list the Centre’s ordinance, as the first issue to be discussed on June 23. He has also requested the parties to make their political stand on this matter very clear during the meeting.
Kejriwal cautioned the opposition parties to look at it in a holistic manner and not think about it as a “Delhi-centric” problem. He said, “If this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, then similar orders will be imposed on other non-BJP ruled states as well.”
He also pointed out that such orders will encroach upon the powers of state governments in matters listed in the concurrent list.
Kejriwal further said, “One by one, democracy will be eradicated in other states as well, and the Prime Minister will control all state governments through the office of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.”
In his letter, Kejriwal expressed his gratitude to all non-BJP parties for standing
in solidarity with the citizens of Delhi and firmly opposing the ordinance promulgated by the Centre.
He further said that he has studied the ordinance carefully and it is very dangerous for democracy.
“I have studied this matter thoroughly. It would be wrong to assume that such an order can only be imposed in the context of Delhi because Delhi is a half-state. Through a similar order, the central government can strip away all the rights of any full-fledged state mentioned in the concurrent list,” Kejriwal said.
“For example, the central government can completely take away the authority of states over subjects like electricity, education, trade, and other issues through such an order. The central government has already experimented with such an order in Delhi. If the central government succeeds in this experiment, it will then issue similar orders for each non-BJP ruled state one by one, thereby taking away the rights of states over subjects mentioned in the concurrent list. Hence, it becomes extremely crucial for all parties and individuals to come together and ensure that this order is not passed in Parliament under any circumstances,” he wrote.
Kejriwal further wrote that if this ordinance is introduced in the Parliament
in the form of a Bill, it is very important for the opposition parties to come together and defeat it.
“If this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, it will be the end of democracy in Delhi. The people of Delhi will have no power to choose the government they desire. The central government will directly govern Delhi through the Lieutenant Governor. Regardless of which party the people elect as the government, they will have no power. After Delhi, one by one, democracy will be abolished in all states, and eventually, the Prime Minister will govern all state governments through Governors and Lieutenant Governors,” he added.
