New Delhi: AAP leader Ram Niwas Goyal and Sushil Gupta (L) with party workers march from Mandi House to Prime Minister’s residence in support of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s dharna at LG’s office, in New Delhi (PTI)
With the protest entering day 8, the Aam Aadmi Party will hold a key meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence Monday. Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues — Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain — have been staging a sit-in protest at LG’s office since last Monday over the bureaucratic impasse in the National Capital due to the IAS officers “strike.” Satyendar Jain, who along with Manish Sisodia was on an indefinite hunger strike, was rushed to hospital on Sunday after his health deteriorated.
Kejriwal, in a fresh appeal, reassured IAS officers that he would ensure their “safety and security” while urging them to call off their “strike.” The party, meanwhile, had planned a march till the Prime Minister’s house in Lok Kalyan Marg on Sunday but was stopped near the Parliament Street police station.
After Mamata Banerjee, N Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy, Kejriwal received support from MK Stalin, Omar Abdullah and Prakash Raj among others. CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury briefly joined the protesters at the Mandi House circle.
Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues -- Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain -- have been staging a sit-in protest at LG's office over the bureaucratic impasse due to the IAS officers "strike." (File)
Delhi High Court, on Monday, pulled up the Kejriwal government over his sit-out at LG's office. "This can’t be called a strike. You can’t go inside someone’s office or house and hold a strike there," the court said. "Thing is that you're sitting on a dharna. Who authorised them to sit on a dharna like this?" the court asked. When the Delhi govt's lawyer described it an "individual decision," the court questioned if it is "authorised?"
Satyendar Jain, who was hospitalised on Sunday evening is stable now, doctors today said. Jain, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Lieutenant Governor office for nearly a week, was rushed to the LNJP Hospital after his health deteriorated. His Ketones level in urine was found high yesterday. "After hospitalization, his condition is stable," Medical Superintendent of LNJP, J C Passey, said.
Welcome to live blog. As the standoff between Aam Aadmi Party and LG Anil Baijal entered day 8 on Monday, the party plans to hold a meeting at CM's residence. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court is listening to a plea that sought to declare the sit-in by the CM and his cabinet colleagues as unconstitutional and illegal. Follow this space to track all the latest developments