Kejriwal completes 100 days in office, AAP says centre 'shadow boxing' over row with LG

Arvind Kejriwal on Monday called a meeting of party MLAs as he completed 100 days in office as Delhi chief minister.

Kejriwal completes 100 days in office, AAP says centre 'shadow boxing' over row with LG

New Delhi: In wake of row with Lieutenant Governor Najib Jung, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday accused the central government of "shadow boxing" and lying over granting full statehood to Delhi.

As Arvind Kejriwal completed 100 days in office as Delhi chief minister on Monday, he called a meeting of party MLAs to discuss relations with the NDA government at the Centre in wake of his spat with LG over administrative affairs.

It was on February 14 this year when Aam Aadmi party leader Arvind Kejriwal was sworn-in as Delhi chief minister after being catapulted to an overwhelming victory with 67 votes.

The chief minister's 100 days in office have seen the AAP grappling with some major tussles within and outside the party.

The most prominent of them being the expulsion of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the party and the latest – Kejriwal's spat with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung over administrative matters.

In wake of his ongoing public tussle with Lieutenant Governor Jung, Kejriwal has accused the BJP Government at the Centre of trying to govern Delhi through the backdoor.

Following the fracas, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a gazette notification clarifying that the LG has jurisdiction over matters of services, public order, police and land.

Irked over the MHA notification establishing the LG as the administrator of the Union Territory, Kejriwal has sought legal opinion on the matter.

Calling the MHA notification as unconstitutional, AAP leader and former minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said, "The central government is shadow boxing".

Talking to the media after the meeting, he said, "The notification that the central government has brought is not only unconstitutional, but it is against the basic principles of democracy,"the ANI quoted him as saying.

Another AAP legislator Alka Lamba said that if an elected government can't  appoint and suspend officials, then how would it fight corrupt officials?

Speaking to the ANI, AAP spokesperson Ashutosh said that the BJP had been lying since 20 years over the issue of Delhi's statehood. 

"Now, suddenly they have realised that Delhi should not get statehood. They are curtailing the powers of Delhi. They want Delhi Chief Minister to not appoint his own Chief Secretary. When the BJP, Congress, AAP have promised in the past that Delhi should get full statehood then from who is he trying to have a consensus. These are the three major parties then what is the hitch?" he said as per ANI.

Meanwhile, ex-AAP member Yogendra Yadav also voiced his support for Delhi's statehood and added that even Delhi Govt must have a right to choose officials of their choice, reported the ANI.

Also, on Kejriwal's completion of 100 days in office, Yogendra Yadav extended best wishes to the AAP government.

"It’s just been 100 days; we shouldn't pronounce our judgment so soon. My best wishes are with Delhi Govt," he was quoted as saying by the ANI.

To give an account of the work done by the AAP during Kejriwal's 100 days in office, Delhi CM will hold a 'Jan Samvad' at the Central Park in New Delhi's Connaught Place tomorrow on Monday.

Talking about his 100 days in office days ago, Keriwal had told his party volunteers in Google Hangouts that Aap's popularity had soared.

"People`s affection with our government has increased. We will get 72 percent vote if election was held today," he had said.

Kejriwal also asked people to compare the performance of his government to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi will complete one year in office on May 26.

Has the Kejriwal-Jung tussle unnecessarily been blown out of proportion? in Nation on LockerDome

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