AAP is an elected government, Arvind Kejriwal has right to work: Shiv Sena

According to Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has spoken to Arvind Kejriwal.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena has lent a voice of support to Arvind Kejriwal and his fellow AAP ministers who have been protesting at Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal's office demanding that he directs striking IAS officer to return to work.

Kejriwal, deputy Delhi CM Manish Sisodia and ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai, went on a sit-in dharna outside Baijal's office-cum-residence last Monday. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said a week later that party chief Uddhav Thackeray has already spoken to Kejriwal and told him he has every right to work for Delhi's development. "This type of movement started by Arvind Kejriwal is a unique one. Uddhav Thackeray had a conversation with him and said that Kejriwal has the right to work for Delhi because they are the elected government. Whatever is happening to them, it's not good for democracy," Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The Delhi government and the centre have been battling each other with the former accusing the LG of working at the behest of the Modi government. The LGs are appointed by the Centre.

Sena too has had rather bitter relations with the Modi government and accusations have flown thick and fast in the recent past.

While Sena has not officially broken its alliance with BJP in Maharashtra, voice of support for opposition parties hint that breaking ties cannot be entirely ruled out.

Meanwhile, IAS officers in Delhi have said that they are not on strike as alleged by the AAP government. The government has countered saying meeting called by ministers have not been attended by IAS officers and that this has made day-to-day functioning difficult. The matter has been taken to the Delhi High Court which on Monday questioned Kejriwal and AAP ministers' strike at the LG office.