Ordinance row: Congress' Ajay Maken slams Kejriwal for seeking "enhanced" powers

Image used for representational purpose. File photo.

Congress leader Ajay Maken on Wednesday fired a fresh salvo at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, claiming he was seeking "enhanced powers" over administrative services to stall probes into corruption allegations against his administration, but AAP dismissed his criticism as the view of an individual and not his party.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which is trying to rally support from opposition parties over the face-off with the Centre on the services issue, said it has sought a meeting with the Congress' central leadership to discuss the matter.

Taking to Twitter, Maken alleged that Kejriwal's true motives are exposed as he "aims to take control" over the vigilance department and is "challenging" decades of established governance norms.

"Investigations into scandals like liquor-gate, Sheeshmahal (his lavish 171-crore residence violating MPD 2021 rules), Power Subsidy scam, buses purchase scam, and others will reveal the extent of corruption within his administration. And this is what he wants to stop," the Congress leader alleged. "Kejriwal is openly seeking enhanced powers over services, aiming to take control over the vigilance department and challenging decades of established governance norms. He conveniently downplays his true intentions," Maken tweeted.

Asked about it, the Aam Aadmi Party said, "This is the statement of an individual. What is the stand of the Congress party on this?" "We sought time from the national Congress already to discuss the matter."

Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab met the party leadership here on Monday and suggested not supporting the Aam Aadmi Party on the Delhi services ordinance issue, sources had said earlier. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had convened separate meetings of leaders from the two states for seeking their opinion on the matter. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was also present during the meetings.

"Let's not forget that the powers Kejriwal seeks were intentionally vested in the Central Government by eminent leaders like Ambedkar, Nehru, Patel, Shastri, Narasimha Rao, Vajpayee, and Manmohan Singh to prevent a multiplicity of authority in the National Capital Territory," Maken said on Wednesday. Kharge has reportedly conveyed to Kejriwal he will take a call on the matter after having a word with state party leaders. The sources said the Congress leadership will also meet party leaders from other states before deciding its position.

The Centre 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 Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government.

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. Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar, his deputy and RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief leader Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury have expressed solidarity with AAP on the matter.

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