Kejriwal threatens hunger strike ‘Indefinite shutdown if issue not resolved’
SEALING DRIVE CM visits Lajpat Nagar a day after clashes
NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday threatened to go on a hunger strike if the issues that led to the ongoing sealing drive were not resolved by March 31.
Kejriwal visited the Old Double Storey market in Lajpat Nagar IV where four policemen and two traders were injured on Thursday after the cops allegedly baton-charged businessmen protesting the sealing drive.
The chief minister said he would write to the Prime Minister on Saturday and meet the union minister for housing and urban affairs to resolve the matter.
“If by March 31 a solution to sealing is not found, then I will go on hunger strike. I insist all party leaders to put pressure on the Centre to bring an ordinance in Parliament so that the sealing drive could stop immediately in the city,” Kejriwal said while interacting with traders.
But Kejriwal’s announcement came as a surprise to his colleagues in the Delhi government. “The hunger strike decision was spontaneously taken by the CM at Amar Colony. He is already unwell with cough problems and fluctuating sugar levels,” said the media advisor to Kejriwal.
It is nearly after five years that Kejriwal has threatened to go on a hunger strike. In March, 2013, the Aam Aadmi Party convener had gone without food for 14 days to protest against over inflated power bills when the Congress
If there is no solution even after the bandh, then we will resort to chakkajam at borders, hunger strike and corner MCD employees.
JAGDISH GUPTA, secretary, Defence Colony Market Association
ruled Delhi.
“Kejriwal takes insulin every evening to keep his sugar levels stabilised. After his previous hunger strike, doctors had warned him of taking any such step again as it would severely affect his health. We hope the sealing issue is resolved before March 31,” said a government spokesperson.
In his address, Kejriwal said a resolution will be tabled in the budget session of the Delhi Assembly, which begins from March 16. “The resolution, if passed, will be sent to the Centre for bringing an ordinance,” said Kejriwal.
The sealing drive had started in mid-december on the directions of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee with the sealing of major shops and eateries in the Defence Colony market.
The civic authorities have been targeting commercial establishments for violation of civic norms or Master Plan of Delhi 2021, including misuse, converting residential complexes into commercial units and encroachment.
To provide relief to traders from sealing, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had last month approved changes in the master plan . The changes include bringing the floor area ratio in shop-cum-residence plots and complexes on a par with residential plots.
But on March 6, the court stayed these amendments and reprimanded the DDA and other agencies for not filing an affidavit about the impact of these amendments on the environment, traffic, congestion and other safety aspects.
During the CM’S visit to Lajpat Nagar, agitated shopkeepers continued shouting slogans against the centre, the Delhi government and the MCD for their failure in getting a concrete solution to the issue. NEW DELHI: Traders have threatened to scale up their protests, including launching a hunger strike and an indefinite shutdown, if no solution was reached by March 13, the day they have called for a Delhi bandh.
Condemning t he alleged baton-charge on traders at Lajpat Nagar on Thursday, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has called for day-long trade bandh to lodge their strong resentment against the sealing of business establishments.
“The authorities and police are treating us like terrorists. Under the guise of the Supreme Court’s order and using police force, sealing is being conducted by sidelining provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act while no action is taken against the defaulting MCD officials,” Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general, CAIT, said.
On the day of the bandh, traders will lay siege to the municipal corporation’s headquarters at the Civic Centre.
“If there is no solution even after the bandh, then we will resort to chakka-jam at borders, hunger strike and corner MCD employees. The authorities and apex court need to understand that development or changes that happened in last 50 years can’t be rectified overnight,” said Jagdish Gupta, secretary, Defence Colony Market Association.
Failing to hear anything positive from the authorities and the Centre on the sealing issue so far, traders said that they might go for an indefinite strike, even if it causes inconvenience to Delhiites.
“To make the traders’ campaign against sealing a success, it is important that small traders and offices in residential colonies join the trade bandh and bring the lifeline of the city to a standstill,” Khandelwal said.
“During the last two shutdowns, smaller markets, including Amar Colony, kept their shops and offices open. The experience in the last one month tells that the threat of sealing looms large on retail markets and offices compared to the wholesale markets,” said Delhi Jan Jagran Manch secretary Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
A monitoring committee member however said sealing will continue. NEW DELHI: A group of 90 JNU teachers on Friday claimed that the administration’s compulsory attendance move had received support from scientist M S Swaminathan and ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan, among others, a claim denied by the two eminent persons.
A representative of the teachers’ group, Prof. Atul Johri, told reporters, “Some of the prominent academicians ( who extended support) include agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, (former ISRO chairman) G Madhavan Nair and likes of them.”
When PTI contacted scientist M S Swaminathan and his biographer Dr Parasuraman, who are on a visit to Delhi for an event, denied making any such endorsement.
“It is totally unethical if someone is doing it,” Parasuraman said.
Sreedharan too said he had not extended support to the move. “They have not contacted me and I have not given any such support,” he told PTI.
The issue of compulsory attendance has triggered fresh tussle between the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration and students.
The students’ union and a section of teachers in the university have opposed the move to make 75 per cent attendance compulsory for students.
The group of teachers, however, quoting the academicians said, “We wish to see JNU as shining and outstanding university. We are hopeful that the students of JNU shall abide by established norms and popular practices. We, therefore, condemn the campaign against attendance.”
The group of teachers also accused JNU Teachers AssociaTION(JNUTA) of instigating the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) and said, “We appeal that the JNUTA strongly condemns the abominable, destructive behaviour of JNUSU. If JNUTA leadership refuses to condemn and do not refrain from instigating the protests, we will be compelled to stop our fee to JNUTA.”