New Delhi: (L-R) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy, Kerela CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu during a meeting at Andhra Bhawan, in New Delhi on Saturday, June 16, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI6_16_2018_000174B) West Bengal CM Mamata denied permission to meet Kejriwal
New Delhi : In a bid to put pressure on the Centre and BJP, four non-BJP Chief Ministers met on Saturday and discussed a strategy to provide support to protesting Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who wants IAS officers to end their non-cooperation with his government.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee attended a meeting at Andhra Bhawan with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu. They met shortly after Delhi’s Lt Governor Anil Baijal declined permission to Banerjee to meet Kejriwal. She had planned to go to the protest site — Lt. Governor’s residential office — along with Naidu. The four non-BJP CM’s sought Lt Governor Anil Baijal’s permission to meet him to submit him a representation on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues’s sit-in at his office. Informed sources said that the four CMs were planning a strategy on how to strengthen Kejriwal’s hands. On denial of permission by the Lt Governor, Kejriwal tweeted, “I don’t think LG can take such a decision on his own. Obviously, PMO has directed him to refuse permission. Just like IAS strike is being done at the PMO’s instance. We live in a democracy. Can the PM deny CMs of other states to meet CM of another state? Raj Niwas is no one’s personal property. It belongs to the people of India.”
“Permission denied by LG. Extremely sad state of affairs,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha tweeted. Kejriwal followed it up with, “This is getting more and more bizarre…” Minutes before Chadha had tweeted, “West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee asks LG to let her meet Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal this evening at 8 pm.”
Kejriwal, along with Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Cabinet ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai, is camping at Raj Niwas
since Monday demanding a direction to IAS officers working in Delhi administration to end their undeclared strike. He also wants the central government to approve his government’s proposal to deliver rations to the poor at their houses.
Kejriwal’s protest has garnered support from West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Bihar’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, actors-turned-politicians Kamal Hassan and Shatrughan Sinha. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) are also supporting the sit-in.
Meanwhile, BJP on Saturday slammed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal over the death of three persons in scuffles related to water shortage and announced that it will hold a protest against the situation across the city on Sunday. Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari said, “Following the acute water crisis in the city, BJP workers will protest across all the 280 wards of the city on Sunday.” BJP workers would also protest in front of the ruling AAP offices in the city, he added.
West Delhi BJP MP Pravesh Singh Saheb Verma, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and suspended AAP MLA Kapil Mishra, who are sitting on a counter-fast against the sit-in protest of Kejriwal and his cabinet ministers, also protested outside the Secretariat and demanded that Kejriwal end his drama and sort out the city’s water problems.
“It seems that life and blood in Delhi is more cheaper than water,” said Mishra. Noting that three people died in scuffles related to the water crisis in Delhi, he claimed that “It is for the first time in 25-30 years that people are dying over acute water shortage”. Taking a jibe at Kejriwal, who is also the Water Minister, Mishra said, “It is Kejriwal who is sitting on protest in an air-conditioned room, while officials are working.”
He noted that files of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) don’t go to the Lt Governor, nor to the Central government. “Reality is that the Chairperson of the Jal Board is sitting quietly on protest by leaving his work. “What is he doing? He should end his protest as they have been exposed in front of the people,” Mishra said. He also urged the CM to start speaking on the issues of Delhi. BJP leaders are also sitting on protest at Delhi Secretariat against the sit-in protest by Kejriwal and his Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Labour Minister Gopal Rai. The BJP leaders sat on protest on Wednesday. The sit-in protest at Lt Governor Anil Baijal’s office by Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues entered the sixth day on Saturday.
Lawyer files police complaint against Kejriwal
New Delhi: A lawyer filed a complaint at the Patel Nagar police station here today against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues, who are sitting on an indefinite dharna at the LG office since Monday. Complainant Vibhor Anand accused Kejriwal and his colleagues of “compelling” LG Anil Baijal to do “unlawful work” and preventing him from doing “lawful” work. The complaint forced the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief to deny the charge.
AAP to hold protest march to PM’s house today
AAP leaders and workers will march to the PM’s residence on Sunday to protest against the lack of response by the Lt Governor and the Centre to the sit-in by CM Kejriwal and his ministers at the Lt Governor’s house, a party leader said.
“Delhi is all set to launch a mass protest like the one we did which changed its political picture,” Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Pankaj Gupta told media on Saturday. “We have tried all we can, but they are not ready to listen,” he added. Gupta said not only party workers but common people will also take part in the march that will begin from Mandi House metro station at 4 pm on Sunday.