Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain starts hunger strike inside LG house where top AAP leaders are on dharna

NEW DELHI: High voltage political drama continues to unfold at Delhi LG residence where CM Arvind Kejriwal, along with three cabinet colleagues, who had gone to meet LG Anil Baijal on Monday evening with three demands, is on dharna and has refused to leave till their demands are honoured by the LG. The dharna began at 5:30pm on Monday and continues.

Meanwhile, health minister Satyendar Jain who is also inside the Raj Niwas started indefinite hunger strike to pressure the LG to concede their demands. "I am not doing this for myself, but for the people of Delhi," Kejriwal said in first video message since he started the sit-in.

They demanded that to end the over four months "strike" by IAS officers working under the AAP government, LG issue orders that all those IAS officers who do not return to work shall be proceeded against and if necessary ESMA may be invoked against them, take action against those officers who have "stalled" work till now and approve the doorstep delivery of ration scheme of the AAP government.




After the surprise dharna on Monday security was beefed up outside LG House as some AAP RS MP Sanjay Singh, MLAs and functionaries arrived outside to back the dharna. The LG office in a statement has said it was dharna without reason.

The police have barricaded the roads near Raj Niwas in the wake of apprehensions that AAP functionaries and MLAs may converge outside. In protest AAP ministers, MLAs and functionaries have gathered outside CM house which is a few kilometers from Raj Niwas.


Heavy security deployed outside Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s residence where Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Satyendar Jain Kumar Jain and Gopal Rai are staging a sit-in protest, in New Delhi on Monday, June 11, 2018. (PTI Photo)


At a press conference at his residence earlier on Monday, the CM claimed that the bureaucrats are on "strike" following an alleged assault on chief secretary Anshu Prakash at CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence.

The bureaucrats have countered the CM's charges by claiming that the CM and the ministers are making "unwarranted and baseless" allegations that IAS officers are on strike.

The dharna began at 5:30pm on Monday.

At the press conference, Kejriwal on Monday lashed out at PM Narendra Modi and LG Anil Baijal, who Kejriwal accused of "coordinating" the strike at the direction of the PMO, which, he claimed, has brought to standstill several works of critical public importance including those related to ration, housing for slum dwellers and infrastructure development work in unauthorized colonies and pollution. "The strike is being sponsored by Raj Niwas to cripple the democratically elected government," said Kejriwal.

AAP members

Kejriwal called the strike "illegal" and said that AAP ministers have already informed the LG that "some officers have said that they do not have any demands in support of the strike and have confided that they do not wish to continue the strike, but they were being forced by Raj Niwas at the instance of the PMO to do so or else face consequences." "The LG dismissed these allegations and assured that he will speak to the officers within a week, but did not do that," Kejriwal said during the press conference.

AAP members eating dinner.

Kejriwal, who has been rather muted in his criticism of PM Modi in the last one year, is appearing combative to defend his government which he claimed is a "victim of growing witch-hunting in the last three months." "An undue advantage of my silence is being taken," said Kejriwal.

According to the government due to the "strike the IAS officers do not pick calls of ministers and skip meetings with ministers" which affects public welfare work. The CM pointed out seven of the many instances and claimed that "no affidavit regarding purchase of buses could be filed in Delhi HC on June 1 because transport commissioner Varsha Joshi did not pick calls of the minister, development works in unauthorized colonies is suffering because DSIIDC MD Mohanjeet Singh refused to pick up phone calls or attend meetings required to sort out important issues, people are facing difficulties in obtaining rations because food commissioner Mohanjeet Singh refuses to come and discuss the issue with food minister, CEO of DUSIB Shurbir Singh refused to attend the meeting when minister called him to discuss housing scheme for slum dwellers, and environment secretary AK Singh has refused to attend meeting with environment minister for the last three months." The IAS officers concerned rejected the allegations and said that the ministers and not they were at fault over these issues (of work).

Arvind Kejriwal, along with three cabinet colleagues, is on dharna.

"The strike is against the All India Services Conduct Rules for the IAS which bar any strike by IAS officers. There is no reason for the strike and they have no demand," Kejriwal said.

Since the strike began in February, Kejriwal claimed, the AAP government council of ministers made eight efforts to persuade the LG to get the "strike" ended by issuing written orders because it was hampering work and people were suffering but the "LG refused to issue such written orders and assured that he will speak to the officers." "On May 16 during a meeting the LG tried to justify the strike and said that the officers were attending offices and doing all file work," the government said in a written statement.

AAP members held a roadside Iftar party outside the Lieutenant General's house

Asserting that the allegations of assault were false and the case lodged by the CS is being investigated by the police, Kejriwal said he can not apologize on false allegations.

The officers strongly rejected the allegations. "It is strongly reiterated that officers continue to work with full vigour and dedication, in fact, many times even on holidays," said the joint forum of Delhi government employees which also includes all IAS officers in a statement and pointed out that the budget could not have passed had they been on strike.

"The officers are not attending routine meetings called by the ministers and the CM because the CM and ministers have failed till date to give any assurance regarding safety, security, dignity and respect to the officers including women officers. Due to genuine apprehension in the mind of officers, we are constrained to have interaction with the ministers only by means of written communications," the bureaucrats said in a statement.