AAP govt, bureaucrats move to resolve stand-off; court raps CM

NEWDELHI: The stand-off between Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal appeared to be headed for a resolution after eight days of heightened political drama in the national Capital with deputy CM Manish Sisodia calling for a meeting between “all stakeholders” to end the impasse.

Sisodia, who was holed up in the L-G’S office in a sit-in protest since last Monday along with Kejriwal, PWD minister Satyendar Jain and labour minister Gopal Rai, had to be rushed to hospital on Monday due to a rise in toxin levels in his blood after six days of being on hunger strike. Jain, who had also been on a hunger strike, was taken to hospital on Sunday night.

That leaves only Kejriwal and Rai in the L-G’S office, from where they have refused to budge until the state bureaucracy ends a “strike”, and for which they were slammed by the Delhi high court on Monday.

The court, while hearing a petition by BJP MLA Vijender Gupta, expressed disapproval of the protest at the L-G’S office and asked who had authorised Kejriwal and his colleagues to stage a sit-in at the venue. MUMBAI: The board of ICICI Bank Ltd on Monday named group veteran Sandeep Bakhshi as wholetime director and chief operating officer (COO), creating a new top position at India’s second largest private bank, to steer all its businesses. Chanda Kochhar, ICICI Bank’s managing director and CEO who is facing conflict-ofinterest allegations, will remain on leave until a committee investigating allegations of impropriety completes its work, the bank said in a statement issued after a board meeting on Monday. Bakhshi, currently managing director and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd, has been appointed for a period of five years. He will take charge as COO on Tuesday and report to the CEO; however, while Kochhar is on leave, he will report to the bank’s board, the ICICI Bank statement said.

The statement further said that “Bakhshi will be responsible for handling all the businesses and corporate centre functions at the bank”.

“All ICICI Bank executive directors will report to him. Mr Bakhshi will report to Ms Chanda Kochhar, who will continue in her role as MD & CEO of ICICI Bank,” the statement said.

SISODIA WAS HOSPITALISED DUE TO A RISE IN TOXIN LEVELS IN HIS BLOOD AFTER 6 DAYS OF HUNGER STRIKE