AAP pulls out all stops for Sunday’s ‘maha rally’ against Centre’s services ordinance

Party kicks off door-to-door campaign to mobilise people for its June 11 event; have held over 2,000 public meetings on the issue, says Gopal Rai; Kejriwal to meet SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in U.P. today

Gopal Rai (right) during AAP’s door-to-door campaign in Delhi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

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Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi convener Gopal Rai on Tuesday kicked off a door-to-door campaign to gather support for the party’s ‘maha (grand) rally’ against the Centre’s ordinance on services.

The party had announced the rally, which will be held at the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, following the ordinance promulgated by the Centre on May 19, which effectively reverses the Supreme Court’s May 11 judgment on the issue of services that gave the elected regime the power to wield control over the Delhi government officials.

Citywide campaign

Sharing details about the programme, Mr. Rai said a ‘maha rally mandal committee’ had been constituted in every ‘mandal’ of the city and these committees have held 2,000 public meetings so far.

AAP has divided the city into 2,500 ‘mandals’ with each being roughly the size of a polling booth.

Mr. Rai said, “Our workers are going door to door to mobilise the masses. A failure to unite against the ordinance today may result in the right to vote being compromised.”

“The BJP-led Central government is displaying dictatorial tendencies. There is a possibility that it could use an ordinance to dismantle the Delhi government in future,” the senior AAP leader added.

The party’s show of strength on the services issue comes even as its national convener and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, is reaching out to the Opposition leaders in a bid to stall the Bill from replacing the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming monsoon session.

CM, Mann in Lucknow

On Wednesday, Mr. Kejriwal is scheduled to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, where he will be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Mr. Kejriwal has already met and sought support on the issue from several party leaders and Chief Ministers, including Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao and Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin.