Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that if all non-BJP parties come together, then the Centre's ordinance on control of services in Delhi can be defeated in the Rajya Sabha.
Talking to reporters after meeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar here, Kejriwal said the NCP will support the AAP in Rajya Sabha as no party enjoys majority. He said the ordinance affected the federal structure of the country.
"If people vote for a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, then BJP resorts to three methods (to topple that government) - purchase MLAs from the ruling side, show fear of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or promulgate an ordinance to ensure the elected government is not able to function," Kejriwal alleged.
He pointed out that elected governments not being allowed to work by using ordinances is not good for the country. "If all non-BJP parties unite, the Centre's ordinance can be defeated in the Rajya Sabha. It is not a matter of politics but that of the country and all parties who love the country should come together," the AAP national convenor said.
Describing Pawar as one of the tallest leaders in the country, Kejriwal thanked him for backing AAP's fight against Centre's ordinance. Speaking on the occasion, Pawar said the ordinance spells a threat for parliamentary democracy.
"It is our duty to ensure that all non-BJP parties support Arvind Kejriwal. Now is time to fight for survival of parliamentary democracy," the NCP supremo said. Kejriwal, who is on a two-day visit to Mumbai, was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during his meeting with Pawar at Y B Chavan Centre in south Mumbai.
The top AAP leader on Wednesday met former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's Bandra residence to seek support over the ordinance issue.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal and Mann met their West Bengal peer Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata as part of their nationwide tour to garner support for the AAP's fight against the Centre's ordinance.
