The Congress party on Tuesday said it will oppose the Delhi ordinance in Parliament, a move that is seen as a major boost to the opposition unity efforts. The party's decision comes after months of pressure from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had threatened to boycott the opposition meetings if the Congress did not oppose the ordinance.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the party's stand is clear as it will oppose any such move by the Centre to intervene in states ruled by opposition parties through the governors and has decided to oppose the Delhi ordinance in Parliament whenever a bill comes up.
"We are consistently opposing the attempts of the Union government to sabotage federalism. We are consistently opposing the attitude of the central government to run the opposition states through the governors. Our stand is very clear, we are not going to support the Delhi ordinance," Congress general secretary K C Venugopal told PTI.
"Not only the Delhi ordinance, any attempt to sabotage the federal system of the country and intervene in the state matters by using the Governor, we are not going to support. The same way, on the Delhi ordinance also, we are not going to support. It is very clear," he said.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera said the party was always opposed to any attempt to weaken the federal structure of our polity, of our governments and of the Constitution.
“The BJP has been attacking the federal structure of our country, whether it is in Tamil Nadu, Bengal or Delhi. Congress party has been steadfast in opposing any such attempt to weaken the federal structure of our polity,” he told ANI.
AAP MP and national spokesperson Raghav Chadha tweeted, "Congress announces its unequivocal opposition to the Delhi Ordinance. This is a positive development." Venugopal said the Congress usually convenes its parliamentary strategy committee meeting just before a session to decide on important matters coming up in Parliament. "Yesterday, we had a meeting and we already made the decision," he said, when asked whether the Congress will support or oppose the Delhi ordinance.
The ordinance, which was brought by the BJP-led central government in May, gives the lieutenant governor of Delhi sweeping powers over the transfer and posting of bureaucrats in the city. This effectively negates a Supreme Court verdict that gave the elected government in Delhi the control over services matter.
The Congress' decision to oppose the ordinance is seen as a major victory for the AAP, which has been at loggerheads with the central government over the issue of Delhi's statehood. The party had earlier said it would join the upcoming meeting of the opposition parties in Bengaluru only if the Congress extended its support to the AAP in opposing the ordinance in Parliament.
The meeting, which is being organized by the Trinamool Congress, is seen as an attempt to forge a united opposition front against the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress' decision to oppose the Delhi ordinance also appears to be a signal to its local leadership in Delhi and Punjab to fall in line as against opposing the AAP which is ruling in these states, and has cost the Congress dearly.
(Edited by : Pradeep John)
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