Central Govt Insulted SC, Will Challenge Delhi Ordinance: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: The Central government’s new ordinance diluting powers of the Delhi government on transfers and posting of officers is a direct contempt of the Supreme Court order and an insult to the top court, Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday.

The Delhi government will challenge the ordinance in Supreme Court, the chief minister promised at a press conference.

“The Centre’s ordinance on services matter is unconstitutional and against democracy. We will approach SC against it. The Centre brought the ordinance to overturn the SC verdict on services matter just hours after the apex court has shut for vacation,” Kejriwal said, wondering why the government had filed a review petition.

“It is the Centre’s ugly joke on democracy,” Kejriwal remarked hours after his government’s executive power in services matters, including transfer and posting of officers, was curtailed by the BJP-headed Union government.

Describing the ordinance as an attack on federal structure, Kejriwal said that he will meet Opposition leaders to ensure the bill is not passed by Rajya Sabha.

“The entire battle is now Supreme Court vs Centre. It is extremely dangerous. This way the central government will bring in an ordinance to negate any unfavourable judgement, since they have the majority,” felt Kejriwal.

Former Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the Centre’s move to create a permanent body to manage transfers and postings of officers in Delhi was aimed at ensuring “transparency and accountability”.

“We had to bring in the ordinance because within a few days of the Supreme Court judgement, the Delhi government began flexing its muscles,” the BJP leader said in Patna.