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Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will support AAP in Delhi ordinance fight: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

NEW DELHI: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Friday said his party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), will support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its fight against the Centre's ordinance on control over administrative services in Delhi.

The announcement came after AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal met Soren at his residence in Ranchi.


"The Centre’s attack on democracy is a matter of serious concern ... The Centre speaks of federal structure but acts in a totally opposite manner. It is clear today that parties which are not the allies of the central government are facing almost the same situation. It is a matter of concern," said Soren in a joint press conference with Kejriwal.

The Delhi CM alleged that the central government is not going to let his government work, irrespective of the mandate given by the people.

"This is an insult to the people of Delhi ... the ordinance must be collectively defeated in Parliament ... We will not allow the Centre to suppress democratic rights of the people," said Kejriwal.

"I thank Hemant Soren and his party for assuring us their support in and outside the Parliament against this anti-people Bill (Ordinance on control of services in Delhi)," he said, while appealing to like-minded parties to oppose the Centre’s "undemocratic move".

Rallying non-BJP parties
The Congress is an ally in the Soren government but it has still not made its stance clear on the matter.

On Thursday, Kejriwal had met Tamil Naidu chief minister M K Stalin who also announced that his part, DMK, would "strongly oppose" the ordinance.


Kejriwal is on a nationwide tour to drum up support among non-BJP parties to defeat the ordinance in Parliament. The DMK, TMC, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the CMP are some of the major parties that have now announced their decision to back Kejriwal.

During a presser with Stalin, Kejriwal had said that the "Congress should support the fight as the ordinance is undemocratic and against the federal structure".

He said that he has sought an appointment with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul, and is "awaiting their response".

Delhi ordinance
The Centre had on May 19 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.

The ordinance came a week after the apex court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government. It seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre.

The Centre will have to bring a bill in Parliament to replace the ordinance within six months of its promulgation.

Transfer and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the lieutenant governor before the top court's May 11 verdict.