The Supreme Court on Monday (July 10) refused to grant an interim stay on the Centre's recent ordinance on control over services in Delhi and served a notice to the Centre on the Delhi government's plea.
The court posted the matter to be heard again for July 17. "This is an ordinance. We we will have to hear the matter," the bench said.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the AAP government, to amend his plea and add the Lieutenant Governor as party in the case.
The Delhi government had sought an interim stay on the Ordinance besides quashing the ordinance.
The AAP government, in its plea, has said that it is an 'unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat' attempting to 'override' the Supreme Court and the basic structure of the Constitution.
The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has termed it as a "deception" with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.
The ordinance, which came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi excluding police, public order and land to the elected government, seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services (DANICS) cadre.
Kejriwal seeks Opposition's support
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been meeting various Opposition parties since the Ordinance by the Centre, and seeking their support in his favour and against the Ordinance when it is introduced in the Rajya Sabha as a Bill. He has so far met various leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and others. He also attended the Patna Opposition meeting on June 23 this year to seek their support. However, due to Congress not clearing its stance in this regard, Kejriwal had skipped the joint press conference and returned to the national capital.
(With agencies input)
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