National

Ordinance Row: Cong Leaders From Delhi And Punjab Meet Mallikarjun Kharge And Rahul Gandhi, Suggesting Not To Support AAP

The Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab were in a meeting with the Congress leadership to discuss the party's stance with the ordinance issue after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought help from Kharge.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge
info_icon

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had convened a meeting of leaders from Delhi and Punjab on seeking their opinion on the ordinance row. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was also present during the meetings.

According to reports, the Congress leaders from the two states who met the leadership in Delhi have suggested that they not support the Aam Admi Party regarding the ordinance issue.

Reportedly several leaders from Congress told the leadership to not support Arvind Kejriwal, calling him a "B-team" of the Bharatiya Janata Party and claiming he harmed the Congress' interests not only in Delhi and Punjab but other states as well.

This meeting comes after Kejriwal requested a meeting with Kharge and Gandhi to seek their support against an Ordinance brought by the Centre which effectively nullified a Supreme Court order that gave to the Delhi government the power of transfer bureaucrats in the city. 

Kharge has reportedly conveyed to Kejriwal he will take a call on the matter after having a word with state party leaders.

According to reports, the Congress leadership will also meet party leaders from other states before deciding its position.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring told reporters after the meeting they have put across their views before the party's high command and left the final decision to it.

"All the leaders have said the party high command will decide and we have left it to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to take the final decision," Raja Warring reportedly told after the meeting.

Former party chief Navjot Sidhu said what transpired during the meeting was a secret and only the Congress chief or Rahul Gandhi would divulge the details.

He, however, said India's Constitution is a sacred 'granth' and he took inspiration from it.

"But, I can say emphatically that the values of the Constitution are at its lowest ebb," he said, citing instances where the Centre "trampled upon" the Constitution.