Arvind Kejriwal said, “If the sealing problem is not solved before March 31, then I will sit on a hunger strike. We will put pressure on the central government.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, seeking time for a meeting to resolve the sealing issue. The move comes a day after he urged parties across the political spectrum to “unite and pressure the Centre” to bring an “ordinance” to stop the ongoing sealing drive. The CM had also announced that he would go on a hunger strike if the issue is not resolved by March 31.
In his letter to the PM, Kejriwal said, “The reason behind sealing is anomalies in the law. It is the responsibility of the Centre to remove these anomalies… Traders earn their livelihood honestly and pay tax. But, they are suffering due to sealing. There is only one solution now. A Bill has to be brought in Parliament to remove anomalies in the law and save traders from unemployment.”
Related Read | Hunger strike from March 31 if sealing issue not resolved, says Arvind Kejriwal
“Traders are on the verge of starvation; the shops are means of livelihood for many. If they are rendered unemployed (due to sealing) then it may impact law and order,” he added.
In his letter to Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal sought an appointment with him and said that sealing of commercial establishments is rendering lakhs of people unemployed. “A solution to this problem should be found by
rising above politics. This issue needs to be strongly raised in Parliament and pressure should be exerted on the Centre to bring a Bill over it,” the CM wrote.
The sealing drive was taken up by the BJP-led civic bodies after directions from the Supreme Court in December last year. The court has also stayed the DDA’s proposal to amend the Delhi Master Plan 2021.
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