As Arvind Kejriwal camps at Delhi LG's house, BJP gives it back with dharna at CM's office

AAP leaders are demanding that the Delhi LG direct IAS officers to end their 'strike'. They also want him to approve the proposal for door-step delivery of rations.

Pic courtesy: Twitter/@p_sahibsingh

New Delhi: Mimicking the protest the ruling dispensation members are holding at the Lt Governor's office, BJP leaders on Wednesday sat on a dharna at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office against the 'non-performance' of his government. Rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Kapil Mishra also joined them.  

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta and MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the sit-in will continue till their demands are met by the AAP government. "Until the CM assures to provide water to the people, we will continue our sit in," Gupta said. The protest is against the "non-performance" of the Kejriwal government, he added.

Gupta further said that the BJP legislators had tried to raise the water shortage issue in the Assembly, but they were marshalled out. The CM does not come to his office, where would people go to raise their problems, he asked. Sirsa said the sit-in will continue until Delhi gets adequate water. BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan was also present at the sit-in.

मुखयमंत्री @ArvindKejriwal से सदन मे पानी की कमी के मुद्दे पर जवाब माँगा तो हर बार मार्शलों से बाहर निकलवा दिया।
मजबूर होकर CM Office पर धरने पर बैठे है। लेकिन वो यहाँ से भी ग़ायब है।@BJP4India @BJP4Delhi @PTI_News @DilliAajtaktv @ANI @JagranNews pic.twitter.com/5Bj80kQSa9 — Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) June 13, 2018

Earlier on Wednesday, BJP workers led by the party's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari staged a protest at the Delhi Secretariat over issues related to water and electricity supply.

दिल्ली सरकार पानी और बिजली के मुद्दे से ध्यान भटकाने के लिए रोज़ नए नाटक कर रही है। केजरीवाल सरकार को उनकी ज़िम्मेदारी याद दिलाने के लिए भाजपा दिल्ली ने श्री @ManojTiwariMP जी के नेतृत्व में दिल्ली सचिवालय तक मार्च किया। @p_sahibsingh#KejriwalCheatedDelhi pic.twitter.com/I5lkXx5P8L — BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) June 13, 2018

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday joined Health Minister Satyendar Jain on the third day of his indefinite hunger strike at LG Anil Baijal's office, where they have been camping for two nights. The AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, are demanding that Baijal direct IAS officers to end their "strike". They also want him to approve the proposal for door-step delivery of rations.

राजनिवास के वेटिंग रूम से मेरा पत्र, एलजी साहब के नाम.....

सर! सोमवार को आपने कहा था मुझे और टाईम दो. हम तब से यहीं बैठे हैं...48 घंटे होने को हैं... उम्मीद है आपने कुछ ठोस कदम उठाए होंगे... दिल्ली की जनता को आपके जवाब का इंतज़ार है। pic.twitter.com/VocThF6ESo — Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) June 13, 2018

Kejriwal tweeted from LG office on Wednesday morning, seeking to know whether it was "possible for IAS officers to return to work without green signal from Prime Minister's Office (PMO)". "Aren't IAS officers merely tools being used by Modi government to scuttle good work being done by Delhi government?" he asked. In another tweet, Kejriwal said their struggle will continue to clear "hurdles" in Delhi's development.

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

Central govt using IAS officers as a tool to provoke rebellion against an elected govt https://t.co/TVNxbskEFD — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 13, 2018

According to the AAP government, officers have not been attending meetings with the ministers and not picking up their calls due to which work for people was suffering. Officers have gone on a "partial strike" since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash on the intervening night of February 19-20, it said.

अपने हक़ के लिए दिल्ली के लोग दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री के साथ खड़े हैं और आज ये उसका जीता जागता सबूत है कि लोग कोने - कोने से लोग निकलकर @ArvindKejriwal के साथ खड़े हैं। #March4Democracypic.twitter.com/ct7fCHErZh — Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) June 13, 2018

AAP also said that an "emergency-like" situation prevailed in the national capital and sought President Ram Nath Kovind's intervention. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that he had asked for an appointment with the President alongwith party lawmakers and legislators from Delhi and Punjab.

"It's an emergency-like situation in Delhi. The entire work of the Delhi government is crippled due to strike by IAS officers for past four months," Singh said, adding that the LG was working at the "behest" of the Modi government.

(With PTI inputs)