Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday extended his support to the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi in opposing the Centre’s ordinance giving the lieutenant governor the final say on postings and transfers of all bureaucrats in the national capital.

On May 19, the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Centre had introduced an ordinance to create the National Capital Civil Service Authority to administer the transfer and posting of bureaucrats serving the Delhi government.

The ordinance negated the May 11 Supreme Court verdict stating that the Aam Aadmi Party government in the national capital has legislative power over bureaucrats excluding the departments of public order, police and land.

Since ordinances cease to exist if they are not approved by Parliament within six weeks of reassembly, the Centre will need to introduce a bill regarding the subject in the upcoming Monsoon Session. The Aam Aadmi Party has urged the Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP only has 93 seats out of the 238 elected representatives seats, to vote against the bill when it gets introduced.

A delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met with Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party leaders in Mumbai seeking their support to vote against the ordinance.

“We all have come together to save the country and democracy,” Thackeray said in a joint press conference with Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. “I think we should not be called ‘opposition’ parties in fact they [BJP] should be called ‘opposition’ since they are against democracy and Constitution.”

Wednesday’s meeting comes a day after Kejriwal and a delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress party leader assured that her party will oppose the bill when the Centre introduces it in Parliament.

On May 21, the Aam Aadmi Party leader had met with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav. The two leaders from Bihar had also expressed their support to the Aam Aadmi Party in light of Centre’s ordinance.

AAP rejects order reinstating vigilance officer in Delhi

On Tuesday, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj rejected an order by the vigilance directorate to reinstate YVVJ Rajasekhar as special secretary in Vigilance and Services departments, reported PTI.

On May 13, the Services and Vigilance Minister had removed Rajasekhar from the post following the Supreme Court order. However, on May 22, Rajasekhar was reinstated on all assignments he was handling in the Vigilance department through an order from the office of Secretary (Vigilance).

This was the first such direction after the Centre brought in the ordinance that effectively negated the Supreme Court order.

However, on Tuesday Bharadwaj said that he is the competent authority in the matter and the order was not approved by him.

“Therefore, the said order is unauthorised and is hereby declared invalid and illegal,” the minister said. “No action should be taken as a result of this order.”

The minister also said that all of Rajasekhar’s responsibilities in the services department would be handled by Special Secretary-II (Services) Kinny Singh, who will directly report to the department secretary, reported PTI. The minister also ordered a separate inquiry to inquire into how the “unauthorised order” was issued by the directorate.

“The work assigned to Mr. Rajasekhar in the Vigilance department is to be distributed amongst ADs [Assistant Directors],” a memorandum by Bharadwaj said, reported The Hindu. “The ADs would put up the files directly to Secretary (Vigilance) and will report to Services Secretary.”