Arvind Kejriwal has written a new letter to PM Modi asking for AAP's demands to be met
Highlights
- Arvind Kejriwal has been camping at Lt Governor's office for 5 days
- Mr Kejriwal has sought PM's intervention to end "strike" by bureaucrats
- He has threatened door-to-door campaign for Delhi's full statehood
In a sharp ultimatum to the centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to seek his intervention and end the "strike" by bureaucrats. He also sent a video message through social media. In the letter, Mr Kejriwal sought to know whether PM Modi would be able to run his government "if in his meetings, officers didn't show up". Mr Kejriwal also asked that the AAP's demands for Delhi's full statehood and approval of the proposal for doorstep delivery of rations, be met. Otherwise, AAP workers would march to the PM's residence to appeal for the "strike" to be cancelled.
Mr Kejriwal said that AAP workers would "reach out to 10 lakh households in the city and collect signatures on a letter on this obstruction to Delhi government work and on the issue of full statehood to Delhi," adding that "10 lakh families would agitate for full statehood".
Mr Kejriwal also said that he got "no response"
to his previous letter to PM Modi.
His latest letter was a response to an invite to attend a NITI Aayog meeting on Sunday, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues have been on protest in the Lt Governor's waiting room
In the video message, Mr Kejriwal also
trained his guns at Lt Governor Anil Baijal, saying that AAP leader Manish Sisodia had earlier written to him and had sent him text messages, but had not received a response in return. Mr Kejriwal had earlier alleged that the Lt Governor had done "nothing" to end the IAS officers' "strike".
The AAP chief said in the video that he "hoped' the Lt Governor would have ordered the end of the "strike" and "asked us to go back home". But, he said, "I am surprised that it is the fifth day and he (Baijal) is not willing to have it ended."
He also alleged the centre was responsible for "throwing roadblocks" to ensure the AAP government does not function properly and was instead "astonished" that BJP leaders
were sitting in protest to support the "strike" by the IAS officers.
"BJP has been ruling for 15 years in MP, in Gujarat for 25-30 years, in Chhattisgarh for 10 years. Since AAP government had done so much work in education, health, power and water departments, people in those (BJP-ruled) states are now asking questions on development issue and they are finding it difficult to answer," Mr Kejriwal said.
"Since they can't do it in their states, so obstructions are being thrown in the working of the Kejriwal government, so the strike," he alleged, according to a PTI report.
Mr Kejriwal also addressed the criticism pointed at him that labelled
his protest at the Lt Governor's residence as an 'AC-Sofa
dharna'.
"I want to ask, 'Am I here for myself or to get jobs for my children? Is it for my own work. Is it easy to sleep on sofas? We are here so that problems in opening of new schools,
moholla clinics and getting rations can be removed... People are asking about the pollution level," he said.
"Every 15 days, we used to have review meetings. The environment secretary has not been attending meeting of the environment minister in the last four months. If he doesn't come, how should we work," he added.
(With Inputs From PTI)