Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s protest entered day three, on Wednesday, as his deputy Manish Sisodia started an indefinite fast along with fellow protester Satyendar Jain.
The sit-in dharna started when Kejriwal and his ministers went to meet Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Monday evening, asking for his help in ending the stand-off between the government and the bureaucrats. They initiated the protest in Baijal’s sitting room when he refused.
On Day 3 of the protest Kejriwal tweeted
सभी दिल्लीवासियों को सुप्रभात।
Good morning
दिल्ली के विकास के कामों में उत्पन्न की जा रही बाधाओं को दूर करवाने के लिए संघर्ष जारी है
हमारा आत्मबल ही हमारी ताक़त है।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 13, 2018
Here is all you need to know about the protest
- Its a face-off between Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal.
- Kejriwal, Sisodia, Jain and Gopal Rai have been on a sit-down ‘dharna’ in Baijal’s waiting room since Monday evening
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- On Day 3, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia joined cabinet colleague and fellow protester Satyendar Jain in an indefinite fast.
- After an initial communique on Monday, there has been no response from Baijal or his office
- The reason: Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers say that Delhi’s IAS officers have not been attending meetings with ministers or picking up their calls since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in February. This has affected initiatives like of mohalla clinics, building of drains and release of funds
- IAS officers say it is a “baseless” accusation, but have admitted that the officers are “not attending routine meetings called by the ministers and the CM” in a statement
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- Baijal’s office backed the IAS officers. On Monday there was a statement that officers have been working as usual and the onus was on Kejriwal and his ministers to improve the relationship with bureaucrats. The communique also accused Kejriwal of “threatening” the Lt Governor and holding a “dharna without reason”.
- Kejriwal, who accuses the Centre of trying to remote control the Delhi government through the Lieutenant-Governor, tweeted today:
Aren’t IAS officers merely tools being used by Modi govt to scuttle good work being done by Del govt?
Is it possible for IAS officers to return to work without green signal from PMO? https://t.co/4Kn7WkUxZh
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 13, 2018
- Kejriwal informed the Lieutenant Governor that if the officers did not end the ‘strike’ the Delhi government will be forced to impose ESMA – a law to punish those who disrupt essential services. The opposition BJP, which contends that Kejriwal’s protest is merely a ploy to shirk work. BJP has planned a rally to Kejriwal’s house to flag power and water scarcity in Delhi. The Delhi cabinet is expected to hold a meeting later today.
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The government of Delhi, which is a Union territory, does not have control over land, police or law and order. Its decisions have to be signed off by the Lieutenant Governor, which has triggered the tussle between the Centre’s representative and the Delhi government.
Last week, Mr Kejriwal launched a campaign for the full statehood of Delhi.