Delhi chief minister Kejriwal writes to PM Modi, seeks nod for Singapore trip

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to PM Narendra Modi seeking clearance to visit Singapore where he is scheduled to speak on the "Delhi Model" in the World Cities Summit early August. Saying that the Centre stopping a CM from attending an important summit was against the country's interest, Kejriwal wrote that he had received no reply to his letter last month seeking permission for the visit.
Kejriwal had said in June that he had accepted the invitation of the Singapore high commissioner, Simon Wong, to attend the summit on August 2-3.
"I had written a letter on June 7 seeking permission to go to Singapore, but no reply has come yet. When you were the CM of Gujarat and when America denied you a visa, the whole country criticised them," Kejriwal wrote. "Today, when your government stops a CM from attending such an important summit, it is against the interest of the country." Kejriwal wrote that he had been invited by the Singapore government to present the "Delhi Model" at the summit where prominent world leaders would be present. "Today the whole world talks about the Delhi Model, it is a matter of pride for India that the whole world is getting inspired by Delhi's model of education and health," he wrote.
"We may have political differences within the country, but in front of the larger world, we should forget our differences and put only the interest of the country in forward," the letter said. Kejriwal was earlier refused "political clearance" to participate in the C40 Cities Climate Summit in October 2019. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was denied clearance to participate in the World Education Conference in Moscow in August 2019 while former health minister Satyendar Jain could not address a session on mohalla clinics at the University of Melbourne in November 2018.
"Today, the Delhi Model is being discussed all over the world. When the then US President came to India two years ago, his wife had gone to see a Delhi government school. After seeing the school, she was very much impressed by the education model of Delhi. Every Indian felt proud on that day," he wrote.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said it's "surprising and shocking to see the anxiety of the CM to visit Singapore to attend the summit". "Kejriwal is one CM who holds not a single portfolio and has no direct contribution in Delhi's development. Before writing a letter to PM, Kejriwal should mention seven development projects taken up by his government in seven years," he said.