In a development that threatens to cause a fresh escalation of tension between the AAP government in Delhi and the BJP-led Centre, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and three of his colleagues on Monday evening declared they wouldn't leave the official residence of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal until he acted on their demands.
Earlier on Monday evening, Kejriwal—along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai—had arrived to meet Baijal. The AAP government submitted three demands to the lieutenant governor: direct IAS officers, who have been on strike for four months to return to work; punish the errant IAS officers and approve doorstep delivery of rations.
After LG refuses to take action, Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal said that along with @msisodia @SatyendarJain & @AapKaGopalRai he we will not leave till @LtGovDelhi acts on all points.
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 11, 2018
All are sitting in his waiting room. pic.twitter.com/5jWVMTsb0R
Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said the lieutenant governor refused to act on their petitions.
A number of IAS officers working in Delhi government departments went on 'strike' in late February after Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash alleged he had been assaulted by AAP members following a meeting at Kejriwal's residence.
AAP had accused the BJP of trying to use the issue, which had hit functioning of many ministries of the Delhi government. Sisodia tweeted that he had met the lieutenant governor on the issue five times, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, earlier on Monday, Kejriwal announced in the Delhi Assembly that if Delhi was granted statehood before the next Lok Sabha polls, the AAP would campaign for the BJP. He declared, “We'll make sure that each and every vote from Delhi goes in your favour.” However, if the BJP government did not act on the statehood demand, Kejriwal warned Delhi residents would put up boards saying, “BJP leave Delhi”.