CM, Shah discuss Delhi’s issues
NEWDELHI: Two days after assuming the office of Delhi’s chief minister for the third consecutive term, Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Kejriwal, who held a press briefing later in the day, said the meeting was “very cordial”.
“We had a very good and fruitful meeting. We discussed several issues related to Delhi and both of us agreed that the Delhi government and the Central government should work together for the development of Delhi. We will work in that direction from here on,” he said.
The meeting, which according to a senior AAP functionary was the first one-on-one meeting ever in a formal setting between the two leaders, went on for over 20 minutes.
When asked if the ongoing protests at Shaheen Bagh against the amended citizenship law and the resultant closure of the road connecting Delhi and Noida was also discussed in the meeting, the chief minister said the matter did not come up during the deliberations.
NEWDELHI:TWO days after assuming the office of Delhi’s chief minister for the third consecutive term, following a thumping win in the Delhi Assembly polls, Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday met Union home minister Amit Shah at the latter’s residence.
Kejriwal, who held a press briefing later in the day, said the meeting was “very cordial”. “I met home minister Amit Shah today. We had a very good and fruitful meeting. We discussed several issues related to Delhi and both of us agreed that the Delhi government and the Central government should work together for the development of Delhi. We will work in that direction from here on,” he said.
The meeting, which according to a senior AAP functionary was the first one-on-one meeting ever in a formal setting between the two leaders, went on for over 20 minutes. Shah had led the BJP offensive against Kejriwal’s AAP in the February 8 Delhi Assembly polls. The AAP trounced the BJP in the elections, winning 62 of the 70 seats. While BJP won eight seats, the Congress drew a blank for the second consecutive time.
When asked if the ongoing protests at Shaheen Bagh against the amended citizenship act and the resultant closure of the road connecting Delhi and Noida was also discussed, the chief minister said the matter did not come up during the deliberations. “No, Shaheen Bagh was not discussed in the meeting,” Kejriwal said in response to the specific query.
Kejriwal had sought an appointment with the home minister before the Delhi elections to discuss the “deteriorating law and order situation” in the national capital. But, the AAP said the Union minister did not give Kejriwal an appointment.
On being asked if issues related to women’s safety were also discussed since the Delhi police falls under the jurisdiction of the Union home ministry, Kejriwal said, “There is a lot of division of powers and responsibilities in Delhi. So, it was mutually agreed upon that together we will work for the betterment of the Capital of India.”
Wednesday’s meeting was also the first time that Kejriwal and Amit Shah met after multiple heated exchanges during the high-pitched poll battle in Delhi.
Kejriwal’s courtesy call on Wednesday is being seen as a concerted effort to work together with the central government. Shah, and the home ministry that he leads, play a crucial role in Delhi affairs that is, legally, a Union Territory with a state assembly and heavily dependent on the Centre’s support.
In his speech after swearing-in as Delhi’s chief minister on Sunday, Kejriwal had sought greater cooperation with the Centre. “The next years will witness better cooperation with the Centre… We had invited the Prime Minister but he could not be here for some reason. So, from this stage today, I seek his blessings and that of the central government for working towards the development and welfare of Delhi,” he had said.