President Pranab Mukherjee with PM Manmohan Singh (File photo)
As Delhi remained grid-locked by a stand-off between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi Police, the Prime Minister met President Pranab Mukherjee earlier this evening and briefed him on Mr Kejriwal's two-day sit-in protest, called-off today.
Sources say the meeting was pre-scheduled to discuss the arrangements for Republic Day. Mr Kejriwal's sit-in protest was held in the heart of the capital in a high-security zone that houses parliament, various ministries and the President's home, Rashtrapati Bhawan.
There is no question of any extreme steps like dismissing the government, sources told NDTV. "He is a Constitutional authority. We can only watch," they said.
The Republic Day parade involves missiles and tanks moving down the main avenue in a proud and patriotic display of India's military might.
The arrangements for the celebrations necessitated a security lock-down of the area that Mr Kejriwal had turned into his camp. He spent the night in the cold on the road near his Wagon-R and woke up to chilly winds and rain.
Mr Kejriwal's demands involved what he described as urgent police reforms. He wanted the control of the Delhi Police to be transferred to his government from the Union Home Ministry, a point made by earlier chief ministers of Delhi as well. Mr Kejriwal, 45, also wanted five police officers to be suspended immediately for failing to make a series of arrests ordered by his ministers. The police officers concerned have said they did not have warrants.
The Congress anchors the ruling coalition at the Centre. It is also propping up Mr Kejriwal's minority government in Delhi. Sources in the party say the Congress is determined not to withdraw that support because it could confer martyr status on Mr Kejriwal ahead of the national election. Instead, sources say the Congress wants him to stand exposed as a man more suited to leading demonstrations rather than a government.