“Opposing Centre’s ordinance has nothing to do with Opposition meeting,” says Congress’ Pawan Khera

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: As the opposition meeting in Bengaluru is set to kick off today with an informal meeting between the leaders of 26 non-BJP parties including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress on Monday cleared that its stand on Centre’s ordinance regarding control of administrative powers in national capital saying that it has nothing to do with the meeting of the like-minded parties.

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday said that the party has always stood up to protect the constitutional structure, so it did in the matter of ordinance against the Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal.

“Opposing Delhi ordinance has nothing to do with Opposition meeting. Congress has always stood up to protect the constitutional structure and we have always raised our voices against the misuse of Governors and Lieutenant governors by BJP govt. So linking this with Opposition meeting will be wrong…,” Khera said.

Putting an end to speculations over its stand on the Centre’s ordinance related to the control of administrative services in Delhi, Congress, in a big boost for Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government announced its support to the AAP on Sunday.

General Secretary KC Venugopal on Sunday said that the party’s stand on the same is ‘very clear’ and it is going to oppose it in parliament.

“Congress’ stand on this is very clear. We will oppose it,” Venugopal said while speaking to media.

Arvind Kejriwal’s party, after the first party meeting in Patna had threatened to boycott the key Opposition meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow aimed at forging an alliance to take on the ruling BJP ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

On June 23, the AAP issued a statement saying that until the Congress publicly denounces the “black ordinance” and declares that all 31 of its RS MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant.

“A total of 15 parties are attending the like-minded party meeting in Patna, out of which 12 have representation in the Rajya Sabha. Except for the Indian National Congress, all other 11 parties, which have representation in the Rajya Sabha, have clearly expressed their stand against the Black Ordinance and announced that they would oppose it in the Rajya Sabha,” the party said.

The second opposition meeting will see these disparate group attempt to take forward the discussions that took place in Patna last month.

An informal meeting is scheduled at 6 pm after which there will be dinner at 8 pm. On July 18, the meeting will kick off at 11 am and will continue till 4 pm.

Last month, the mega Opposition meet was convened in Patna by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

At the meeting, Opposition heavyweights, including Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, brainstormed on a roadmap for an anti-BJP front in time for the next year’s Lok Sabha elections.