New Delhi [India], July 16 : Coming out in support of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital, the Congress on Sunday said they will oppose the Centre's Ordinance overturning the Supreme Court ruling vesting control of services in the ruling party.
The development assumes significance as the Congress cleared its stand on the issue, which has put the Centre and the AAP at loggerheads, just ahead of the second meeting of Opposition parties in Bengaluru, which will be held over two days — July 17-18.
"The Congress will oppose the Centre's Ordinance against the Delhi government," Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera toldon Sunday.
Khera said the decision to oppose the Ordinance was taken at the party's Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting on July 15.
"We have always been opposing any attempt to weaken the federal structure of the country, of our polity and our governance," the Congress leader added.
Khera alleged that since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he has been attacking the federal structure of the country, "whether it be Tamil Nadu, West Bengal or Delhi".
"We have been very steadfast in opposing any such attempt to weaken the federal structure of the country," the Congress leader added.
"Likewise, in the case of Delhi Ordinance, which the Centre has brought, yesterday, we had our Party's Parliament Strategy Group meeting and there also it was decided that the Congress will oppose this Ordinance," Khera said, clearing the Congress' stand.
The Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting of the Congress was held on Saturday at UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence. The deliberations at the meeting centred on the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin on July 20.
Earlier, the ruling AAP and Congress leaders had locked horns over the issue, with the latter not clearing its stand on the Ordinance overturning the Supreme Court ruling in the matter.
The AAP had been counting on the support of the Congress, which has 31 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP does not have a majority in the Upper House of Parliament.
CM Kejriwal had even held one-on-one meetings with top Opposition leaders across the country, soliciting their support on the Ordinance issue.
The Ordinance is likely to be tabled in Parliament during the Monsoon session.
Earlier, at the inaugural meeting of Opposition parties in Patna, last month, the Congress had kept its stance "unclear" on the Ordinance issue and had repeatedly stressed that the meeting to flesh out the contours for Opposition unity, with an eye on the next year's Lok Sabha elections, wasn't the appropriate forum to clear its stand on the issue.
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