Delhi minister on hunger strike as Kejriwal ‘waits’ to meet LG
AAP GOVERNMENT’S DEMANDS INCLUDE A DIRECTION TO IAS OFFICERS TO END THEIR ‘STRIKE’
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues, who spent the night at the lieutenant governor’s (LG) office, yesterday dug in their heels with Health Minister Satyendar Jain beginning an indefinite hunger strike to press for their demands.
The AAP government’s demands include a direction to IAS officers to end their “strike”, and action against those who have boycotted work for “four months”. It has also asked the LG to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of rations.
‘No option’
Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, Development Minister Gopal Rai and Jain met Baijal at 5.30pm yesterday and have since stayed on.
After spending the entire night, Kejriwal released a video yesterday and said the AAP ministers had “no option” but to stage a sit-in at the LG’s office as Lt Governor Anil Baijal was not paying heed to the Delhi government’s demands “despite several requests”.
It was the first time in the history of Delhi that the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues spent the night at the LG’s office to press for their demands, sources said.
The move drew criticism from the BJP’s local unit who termed the sit-in as a “mockery of democracy”.
“Making mockery of Democracy, No Work only Drama [sic],” Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said on Twitter.
However, the AAP maintained that their fight would continue and they will not get “bogged down” until their demands are met.
“Modi and LG are not allowing us to work for the betterment. LG is orchestrating the strike by the IAS officers,” AAP leader Sanjay Singh said.
Leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta called Kejriwal’s sit-in a way to “shirk work”.
“Delhi’s maalik [owner] Kejriwal and company are protesting inside an air-conditioned room. Delicacies are being served to them from outside, while the city’s reeling under a water crisis. They are only concerned about politics and not about people’s issues,” he said on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal, tweeted from the LG’s office, “Satyender Jain starts indefinite fast”. Jain began his fast from the LG’s office at 11am.
Last night, the chief minister, who is a diabetic, had to take insulin during the sit-in and got “specific food” from his home, the sources said.