 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Photograph: @AamAadmiParty/Twitter
The sit-in by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers on Thursday received more political support including from Tamil actor Kamal Haasan and parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Communist Party of India which accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of creating hurdles in the work of the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve issues related to the sit-in.
Meanwhile, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has been working from home for the past three days as Kejriwal and his three ministerial colleagues continued their sit-in at his office, sources said on Thursday.
Baijal has been holding meetings with officers at the camp office at his residence, which is just behind the L-G Secretariat where Kejriwal and his three ministers have been staging the sit-in since Monday evening.
The sources said the L-G was going through files related to Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority and other departments at his residence, but he did not receive any Delhi government files as the chief minister and his three ministers continued their protest.
Delhi minister Imran Hussain, who is not taking part in the protest by the chief minister, on Thursday attended the meeting at the L-G's camp office.
Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues -- Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain -- have held a sit-in the L-G's office since Monday evening over their demands, including a direction to officers to end their 'strike' and action against those who have struck work.
They also want the L-G to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of ration.
CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that the central government was using the office of the L-G to 'obstruct' the elected government in Delhi in discharging of its constitutional duties.
'... This is despicable. The Centre must abandon this course of confrontation right away,' Yechury tweeted.
Kerala CM Vijayan, in a letter to Modi, said such a situation in Delhi will not enhance the image of the country and will undermine the federal structure of governance mandated by the Constitution.
He said there are disquieting reports that the Centre was actually providing patronage and protection to sabotage the work of an elected state government belonging to an opposition party.
Haasan, who in February launched his own political party --- Makkal Needhi Maiam -- in Tamil Nadu at an event attended by Kejriwal, said that interference in the functioning of an elected government is 'unacceptable in a democracy'.
'Interference in the functioning of an elected government is unacceptable in a democracy. In fact what is happening in Delhi and in TN/Pondicherry are not too different. It is frustrating for people who want a change for the better,' he tweeted.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the 'dictatorial Centre' has made a 'mockery of democracy' in Delhi and Puduchery.
In a Hindi tweet, Yadav said that interference in the functioning of elected governments through 'pawns of the Centre is bloodying the contexts and aspirations of the democracy'.
Rebel Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav also came out in support of Kejriwal, saying 'the elected government is not being allowed to work for one reason or the other'.
'It is not a good precedent being set that the elected government is not allowed to work. It may be mentioned that this is not a failure of the state government, but the people of Delhi are being neglected due to the unnecessary tussle between the LG and the state government,' he said in a statement.
According to the statement, Yadav urged the central government to take 'initiative' to settle the issues of Delhi government once for all so that the people of Delhi 'feel comfortable'.
The Delhi unit of Communist Party of India also strongly condemned the attitude of Lt Governor Anil Baijal 'by not meeting' the chief minister and his ministers who are sitting since Monday in the waiting hall of the LG Secretariat office.
'The CPI is of the view that no constitutional authority in Delhi can be an agent of any political party or its ideology and cannot bypass or neglect the elected government of Delhi,' the party said in a statement.
On Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said that elected chief minister must get due respect.
'@ArvindKejriwal, CM of Delhi is sitting in a dharna in LG's office for the last few days in the capital city of the country (sic).
'Elected CM must get due respect. May I appeal to the Govt of India and @LtGovDelhi to resolve the problem immediately so that people do not suffer (sic).' Banerjee tweeted.
Earlier, the Rashtriya Lok Dal too had supported Kejriwal on the issue.
Meanwhile, in a counter move, an indefinite sit-in by BJP leaders at the Chief Minister's office in Delhi Secretariat continued on Thursday with all the five including rebel AAP legislator Kapil Mishra asserting it will go on till they 'expose' the Kejriwal government.
, West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma, BJP MLAs -- Vijender Gupta, who is the Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Pradhan and Manjinder Singh Sirsa -- and Mishra sat on dharna at the Chief Minister's office at around 12 noon on Wednesday.
The are demanding an assurance from Kejriwal to help Delhiites overcome the water 'crisis'.
After spending over 24 hours, Gupta complained of mosquitoes and got the toilets locked.
'Troubled by mosquitoes whole night. CM has also got the office toilet locked. Our dharna will continue till Kejriwal government is exposed,' he said.
Gupta said that the AAP including Kejriwal were spreading "lies" that IAS officers in his government were not working.
'Even the sanitation workers are on duty at the Secretariat and you(Kejriwalji) are yourself on strike,' Gupta tweeted.