Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday the BJP government at the Centre had curtailed the powers of the Delhi government to punish him for supporting the farmers. He, however, said what one needed to serve the people was not “power” but the “right intentions”.
Addressing a “Kisan Mahapanchayat” in Jind, Mr. Kejriwal said the Union government had brought a Bill in Parliament divesting the Delhi Chief Minister of all powers, to “punish Kejriwal for supporting the farmers’ movement”.
He vowed to support the movement till the end and said he was ready to pay any price for it. “Your son is Chief Minister in Delhi. There is no need to worry,” said Mr. Kejriwal, assuring farmers of all support, amid loud cheers.
He said he was confident that the Union government would agree to the farmers’ demand.
Despite pressure from the Union government and the threats to curtail his power, he did not give permission to convert stadiums in Delhi into jails for agitating farmers, he said. “I put a noting on the file saying farmers’ movement and their demands were justified and returned it.”
He also condemned the police action on farmers in Rohtak on Saturday during Chief Minister Manohar Lal’s visit.