Kejri back to street smart politics
The Aam Aadmi Party is back to its street smart politics. On Sunday, the party tried to take its protest against Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and the ‘uncooperative’ IAS officers to the Prime Minister’s doorstep but was thwarted by the Delhi police.
Entry and exit at five Delhi Metro stations were closed and the protestors were halted at Parliament Street. Flag waving CPM cadres had also joined the protest march.
Kejriwal is already squatting in the Delhi LG’s waiting room for the last few days as part of his ‘game plan’ to put the Centre on the back foot in the run-up to the general elections. In fact, Kejriwal, has received support from almost all opposition parties, except the Congress.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit dismissed the AAP allegation that the Congress was siding with the BJP, while several political parties were standing by Kejriwal in the ongoing tussle. "What they are saying is totally irrelevant. We have got our own identity," she said.
The Delhi BJP, in turn, accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of resorting to a "political stunt" in a bid to form an "anti-BJP, anti-Narendra Modi" front in the run-up to the 2019 election. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari also said it was "unfortunate" that the chief ministers of four states allowed themselves to be a part of the Aam Aadmi Party supremo's "drama".
Meanwhile, the IAS Association held an unusual press conference ahead of AAP's protest saying they have been doing their job regularly and sometimes even on holidays. The bureaucrats have rejected all charges levelled by Kejriwal and his ministers.
With several IAS officers coming together on Sunday to level counter allegations against the Delhi government, Kejriwal seemed to soften up and assured them that he will ensure security for the bureaucrats as they are his “family”.
Requesting the IAS officers to return to work, Kejriwal added, “I would urge them to stop the boycott of the elected government, return to work and start attending all meetings of ministers, respond to their calls and messages and join them for their field inspections. They should work without fear and pressure. They should not come under any pressure from any source, whether state government or the Centre or any political party.”