Four non-BJP Chief Ministers on Saturday attacked Narendra Modi government at Centre and accused it of restricting the federal system while supporting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal amid his sit-in protest at the LG's office along with his three cabinet colleagues.
Four non-BJP Chief Ministers on Saturday attacked Narendra Modi government at Centre and accused it of restricting the federal system while supporting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal amid his sit-in protest at the LG's office along with his three cabinet colleagues.
At the press conference at Kejriwal's residence after they were not allowed to go to L-G Anil Baijal's house, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the Centre to resolve the "crisis" immediately.
The open support to Kejriwal by the four chief ministers assume significance as it comes amidst efforts by leading opposition parties to cobble together a rainbow coalition ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Kejriwal accompanied by his deputy Manish Sisodia and ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai have stayed put at the office demanding that Baijal direct IAS officers to end their "strike" and approve doorstep ration delivery scheme.
Speaking to media, Mamata Banerjee said, "We will tell the PM to intervene in this matter and solve it. Had the President been here, we would have told him too. This is a democracy and that is how a democracy functions."
The Chief Minister also termed the situation in Delhi as a constitutional crisis. "There should never be such crisis due to which a govt and the common people have to suffer," she said.
"There are two Crore people in Delhi. The work has been disrupted since last four months, there can be nothing more unfortunate than this. LG is the appointed leader, if not he then to whom will one to go to seek time & talk," she asked.
Mamata also said that she wanted to meet Delhi CM but she was told, verbally and not even written, that permission will not be granted. "We four of us wrote to LG for an appointment but we were told that he (LG) is not even there. We waited so long but we were not allowed."
Blaming the Central government attitude for the situation in Delhi, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said, "Because of the attitude of Central govt this happened. Centre is restricting the federal system which is a threat to the nation. Everyone is with him (Delhi CM). All the democratic people are with Delhi CM."
The four chief ministers also visited Kejriwal's residence to meet his family members.
They are in Delhi to attend NITI Aayog meeting to be held tomorrow.
The bureaucrats in Delhi are not meeting Delhi ministers as part of their protest against an alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in February. The bureaucrats are demanding an apology from Kejriwal for the incident.
Kejriwal has alleged that there is de facto President's rule in Delhi because of what the AAP government describes as an ongoing IAS officers' strike.
Kejriwal made the allegation as his sit-in along with three cabinet colleagues at the waiting room of Lt Governor Anil Baijal's office entered its sixth day.
In response to a tweet about IAS officers withdrawing from work being de facto President's rule, Kejriwal tweeted, "I agree. It is de facto President's rule in Delhi thro IAS strike (sic)." Jain and Sisodia have been sitting on hunger strike at the waiting room of the L-G Secretariat since Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
The chief minister has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to work with his officers not attending his meetings.
"Elected Chief Minister must get due respect. May I appeal to the government of India and the LG to resolve the problem immediately so that people do not suffer", Ms Banerjee had tweeted on Wednesday.
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