Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will reach Patna on June 22. (Image: PTI)
Just an hour before the opposition meeting in Patna, AAP’s Delhi spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that the Congress needs to clear its stand on the matter.
Only an hour before a major opposition meeting in Patna – organized by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and attended by 30 leaders from 15 parties – the AAP accused the Congress of colluding with the ruling BJP for the presidency. Party’s Delhi spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the Congress needs to clarify its stand on the matter.
This statement did not go down well with the Congress leadership and said that it does not look good for opposition unity. When Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal about the party’s stand on the Delhi ordinance, he said there is a process to be followed before taking such decisions and the party will clarify its stand in the coming days .
After the meeting, a press conference was held by the opposition parties in which Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha did not attend. Instead, the party issued a statement: “The Congress, a national party that takes a stand on almost all issues, has not yet made public its position on the black ordinance. However, the Delhi and Punjab units of the Congress have declared that the party should support the Modi government on the issue.
“Today, during the like-minded party meeting in Patna, several parties urged the Congress to publicly condemn the Black Ordinance. However, the Congress refused to do so,” it said.
It said, “The silence of the Congress casts doubt on its real intention. In personal discussions, senior Congress leaders have indicated that their party may informally or formally abstain from voting on the issue in the Rajya Sabha. Abstention from voting on this issue will go a long way in helping the BJP to further its assault on Indian democracy.
The statement also said that unless the Congress takes a stand on the issue, it would be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of the opposition. “The black ordinance is anti-constitutional, anti-federal and completely undemocratic. Further, it seeks to overturn the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court on this issue and is an insult to the judiciary. The hesitation and refusal of the Congress to act as a team player, especially on an issue as important as this, will make it very difficult for the AAP to be a part of any coalition that includes the Congress. Unless the Congress publicly condemns the black ordinance and announces that all its 31 MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for the AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a partner . Said.
Congress sources suggested that the meeting in Patna was to discuss strategies for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls and not just one issue. “We are in the process of reaching a consensus on this issue and once we do, we will inform you. Issuing such a statement is unfortunate. We will host the next opposition meeting in Shimla, it is up to you whether she wants to be a part of it or not,” sources said.