AAP seeks President help to end impasse

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said an “Emergency-like” situation prevailed in the national capital and sought President Ram Nath Kovind’s intervention in the matter. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that he has asked for an appointment with Mr Kovind along with party lawmakers and legislators from Delhi and Punjab.

The fight between the Delhi government and the lieutenant-governor over IAS officers’ “strike” intensified on Wednesday with thousands of AAP leaders and workers marching to the L-G’s office where chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues had been staging a sit-in since Monday evening.

Former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who resigned from the BJP recently, also joined AAP leaders and workers outside the CM’s Civil Lines residence.

“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,” Mr Singh said, adding that the L-G was working at the “behest” of the Modi government.

Mr Singh remarked after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues sat on a hunger strike at the office of the Lieutenant Governor to press for their various demands. The AAP government’s demands to the L-G include, giving direction to IAS officers to end their “strike”, action against those who have struck work for “four months”. It has also asked the L-G to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of rations. “Its unfortunate that the Delhi chief minister, his deputy and two ministers are sitting at the L-G office, but he has not found even three minutes to meet them in past three days,” Mr Singh said.

He said that he has talked to the leaders of Samajwadi Party (SP), RJD, JD(S), CPM, CPI and RLD, who have assured support to the AAP. The L-G and the Centre should try to find out a solution to the problem and the president should intervene, he said.

Mr Singh said that if the IAS officers assured in writing to end their strike and resume work, the AAP will appeal the chief minister and his colleagues to end their sit-in at the L-G office.

 He warned that the AAP will resort to a massive agitation if no solution is found to the existing situation.

On Tuesday, Mr Singh had moved a PIL in the Delhi High Court against Prime Minister’s absenteeism from the Parliament. The PIL was filed a day after rebel AAP leader Kapil Mishra moved a PIL against Mr Kejriwal in the High Court.