Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday threw her weight behind Arvind Kejriwal on a contentious central ordinance to appropriate the powers of his elected government in Delhi and appealed to all non-BJP parties to unite and defeat the equivalent law in the Rajya Sabha.
The Bengal chief minister offered her party's full support to Kejriwal when a delegation of AAP leaders led by him called on her at Nabanna.
Apart from the Delhi chief minister, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann and other leaders were also in the AAP delegation.
“We had a courtesy meeting today over the atrocities being carried out by the BJP against all Opposition parties in the country.... This is why we came together and held a dialogue on these issues, particularly on the ordinance brought in by the central government against the Delhi government despite the Supreme Court’s latest verdict,” Mamata said while she addressed a news conference at Nabanna, along with Kejriwal and Mann.
“I appeal to all parties. This is a chance for all of us to come together as the Opposition and send a big message for the entire nation that we can defeat the BJP in Rajya Sabha and do away with the ordinance,” she added. “This is a great chance to defeat the BJP before the 2024 general elections. As the chairperson of (the) Trinamul (Congress), I announce that we will oppose this ordinance against the Delhi government. We will seek justice from the Supreme Court on the matter.”
A Supreme Court order last week giving control of services — with the exception of those related to police, public order and land — to the elected AAP government in Delhi was overturned by an ordinance promulgated by the Narendra Modi government.
With the ordinance, those powers will be vested with the Centre. An ordinance has a validity for only six months. After that, its provisions need to be enacted by legislative bodies.
In the Rajya Sabha, a united Opposition still has the numbers to defeat the treasury benches.
Trinamul has 12 Rajya Sabha members and is the third largest party after the BJP and the Congress in the House. The AAP has 10 members in the 245-seat Upper House.
The Trinamul chairperson requested all non-BJP parties to defeat the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.
“I humbly appeal to ensure that BJP does not even get one vote (in the Rajya Sabha). Even those BJP leaders who are unhappy with the party itself, should vote for non-BJP parties against the ordinance,” she said.
Thanking Mamata for her support, Kejriwal said: “This is not my fight alone, this fight essentially is of 140 crore people of this nation, against their hubris.”
The Delhi chief minister is set to meet a host of leaders of regional parties in the days to come as part of his fight against the ordinance.
“What is happening in Delhi is in complete opposition to democracy, they are basically declaring that they do not even obey the Supreme Court…. Theirs is a black heart,” said Kejriwal.
The talks took place ahead of a visit to Delhi by Mamata later this week. She will not only attend a NITI Aayog meeting but also call on various players in the Opposition in Delhi.
Within the next few weeks, there is likely to be a major meeting of non-BJP forces in Delhi or Bihar, where Mamata is likely to play a key role.
“It’s (general election) about barely six months more… and if something sudden happens (before that), some miracle takes place, then they might go even before that. Who can say? Today I am alive, tomorrow I might not be,” she said on Tuesday.
