Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday questioned the BJP and Centre’s intentions over granting statehood to Delhi. Kejriwal, who plans to sit on an indefinite fast from March 1, accused the BJP of playing with the emotions of Delhiites.

The Delhi CM tweeted that in 2003 then home minister LK Advani had introduced Delhi statehood Bill in Lok Sabha but it lapsed even though it was endorsed by a parliamentary panel headed by Pranab Mukherjee. He said that “injustice won’t be tolerated anymore”.

“BJP’s opposition to statehood for Delhi now is its confession that Modi ji lied to the people of Delhi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. People of Delhi will respond to lies & decades of deceit appropriately now,” Kejriwal tweeted.

Arvind Kejriwal said his government tried all means—made requests, protested, went to court— and had decided to go an indefinite fast as a last resort.

On Saturday, the Delhi Assembly also adopted a resolution demanding that the Union home ministry take steps to declare Delhi a “full-fledged” state without any further delay.

“From 1 March we will launch the movement to make Delhi a full state Even if we die in this movement, we will gladly do so but this fight will continue and Delhi will get full statehood,” Arvind Kejriwal said.

Earlier this week, Kejriwal had stepped up his campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and promised full statehood for Delhi in two years if his party won all seven seats.

“Ten years from the day Delhi is given the status of full statehood, I will give every Delhiite a concrete house to live in. This time do not vote to elect the Prime Minister. Vote to get full statehood for Delhi,” he had said.

The Delhi chief minister had also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Delhi full statehood. Reacting to the Prime Minister’s tweet on Arunachal Pradesh’s statehood day, Kejriwal had tweeted, “Sir. Delhi is also waiting for its statehood day. U had promised to the people of Delhi that you wud grant full statehood to Delhi. Kindly do it sir. People of Delhi have faced injustice for 70 years now.”

Arvind Kejriwal has accused both the Congress and the BJP of “back-stabbing” Delhi over the statehood issue. He claimed that full statehood will make Delhi a clean city like London and Paris with better law and order and safety for women.

“Even the Britishers did not commit so much atrocities. Delhi people pay Rs 1.5 lakh crore as Income Tax and received only Rs 325 crore from the Centre. No matter which party was at the Centre, they sucked Delhi’s blood,” the chief minister alleged.

AAP leaders said Kejriwal will hold meetings with party MLAs, MPs and office bearers over the weekend to plan the full statehood movement.

First Published: Feb 24, 2019 10:56 IST