Kejriwal, Thackeray slam Centre for 'arrogance of Ordinance'

Mumbai, May 24

Attempting to drum up support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called on former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray at his home here on Wednesday.

Addressing the media jointly, both leaders slammed the Centre for attempting to force the Ordinance to control Delhi services as "an Ordinance emerging from arrogance" and the need to "wake up the people of the country".

"The Ordinance decision is coming out of the arrogance. An arrogant and selfish person cannot run the country," said Thackeray, expressing support for Kejriwal's fight with the Centre.

Flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal said that "we have come together to wake up the people of the country".

Thackeray said that the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Matoshri are known for maintaining relations which go beyond politics.

"The Supreme Court verdict was necessary for Delhi and the country's democracy. But what kind of democracy is it when the Centre brings an Ordinance like this? We have to make the people aware of all this," Thackeray said.

Kejriwal said even the AAP keep good relations with all and "now we are part of the Thackeray family".

"The people of Delhi have fought a big battle for rights. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking away our authority by the Ordinance though the SC verdict came (May 11) in our favour after 8 years," Kejriwal said.

"Their politics is unethical, wrong and dangerous to the country and a threat to democracy. They are blatantly misusing power and various institutions to hound political rivals," said Thackeray.

Soon after the apex court judgement giving the powers to the state government to appoint officers in Delhi, the BJP government brought forth an Ordinance to annul the decision on grounds that Delhi does not have full statehood, and gave all the powers to the Lt. Governor.

Kejriwal has been on an all-India round of all the top Opposition parties in the country to block the Centre's Ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.

Earlier, he met Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, on Tuesday he met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday Thackeray, and on Thursday he will have a sojourn with Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar.

Congress state president Nana Patole has already stated that his party would abide by the decision of the Central leadership.