Delhi government moves Supreme Court against Centre’s ordinance

The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi on Friday approached Supreme Court regarding Centre’s ordinance regarding transfer posting of officers.

The petition states that the Ordinance is unconstitutional as it does not amend Article 239AA of the Constitution and wrests control from an elected government and places it in the hands of an un-elected LG.

On May 19, the Centre had promulgated an ordinance taking the authority of the transfer and posting of IAS and DANICS officers in the national capital. The Arvind Kejriwal government had called the move a circumvention of the apex court verdict on the control of services.

The ordinance was promulgated a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in the capital except police, public order and land, to the elected government.

The transfer and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the Lieutenant Governor before the May 11 verdict of the apex court.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had been garnering support from the opposition parties against the Centre’s ordinance. In fact, he will also burn copies of the ordinance at the party office in central Delhi on July 3.

Aam Aadmi Party chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said copies of the ordinance will be burned across the 70 assembly constituencies of the national capital.

“On July 3, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, cabinet ministers and all the MLAs will burn copies of the black ordinance at the ITO party office. Then on July 5, the copies of the ordinance will be burned across all 70 parliamentary constituencies.

Between July 6 and July 13, the copies of the ordinance will be set on fire at every nook and corner of Delhi. The seven vice presidents will ensure that they are burned in every area of Delhi,” Bhardwaj, a minister in the Kejriwal cabinet, said.