Is it easy to sleep on sofas?: Kejriwal hits out against detractors

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday wrote a fresh letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to end the IAS officers’ “strike” even as he hit out at his detractors, saying the sit-in was “not for personal gains” but for greater good of the people of Delhi.

Kejriwal, in a video message on Friday on the fifth day of the sit-in, he and his ministers are holding at the Lieutenant Governor’s office, also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party, alleging the bureaucrats’ strike was to “throw roadblocks” in the working of the Aam Aadmi Party government.

“I have told the LG and (deputy chief minister) Manish Sisodia wrote a letter to him (Anil Baijal) yesterday and even sent a message on WhatsApp. But, no response from his side. We got no response to the letter I wrote to the PM. So, today again I wrote to the prime minister,” he said.

The latest letter by Kejriwal was in response to an invite to attend a meeting of NITI Aayog on Sunday.

“I have asked the PM, if in his meetings officers don’t show up, will he be able to run the government for a day? Then why have you allowed the strike of officers in Delhi. It is not good to bother people of Delhi,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal on Thursday had written to Modi, seeking his intervention to end the strike, claiming that Lt Governor Anil Baijal was doing “nothing” to end the impasse.

A team of doctors on Thursday conducted a health check-up of Kejriwal’s deputy Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain at the L-G office, who are on indefinite hunger strike to press for their demands.

Kejriwal said in his fresh letter to Modi, he has reiterated the demands. The AAP government has sought that the L-G direct the IAS officers to end their “strike” and act against those who have struck work. They also want the L-G to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of ration.

“I have again asked him (PM) to do something. It is not alright to have this strike be allowed. So, on Sunday, will go to the PM’s residence, lot of people of Delhi will go to his residence and appeal to him to have the strike cancelled,” he said.

Kejriwal hoped that the prime minister will ensure that the “strike” ends.

“If not, then after Sunday we will go to every household. Our workers will reach out to 10 lakh households in the city and collect signatures on a letter on this obstruction to Delhi government work and on the issue of full statehood to Delhi. These 10 lakh families will then agitate for full statehood and against this strike of IAS officers,” he claimed.

The AAP chief in his video appeal also asked if there was one person who would say that the strike by officers was legitimate.
“After meeting him on Monday evening, I had hoped that the L-G would say he had ordered end of the strike and ask us to go back home. I am surprised that it is the fifth day and he (Baijal) is not willing to have it ended,” Kejriwal alleged.

But, what is more astonishing is that some BJP leaders are sitting in protest to support the strike of officers, he said.

“BJP has been ruling for 15 years in MP, in Gujarat for 25-30 years, in Chhattisgarh for 10 years. Since AAP government had done so much work in education, health, power and water departments, people in those (BJP-ruled) states are now asking questions on development issue and they are finding it difficult to answer,” Kejriwal said.

“Since they can’t do it in their states, so obstructions are being thrown in the working of the Kejriwal government, so the strike,” he alleged.

Hitting out at his detractors, who have questioned the motive behind the sit-in, he said, “I am not here for personal gains, and we are not having fun here.”

“Some TV channels are labelling our protest as ‘AC-sofa ka dharna’. I want to ask, ‘Am I here for myself or to get jobs for my children? Is it for my own work? Is it easy to sleep on sofas?

“We are here so that problems in opening of new schools, mohalla clinics and getting rations can be removed... People are asking about the pollution level.

“Every 15 days, we used to have review meetings. The environment secretary has not been attending meeting of the environment minister in the last four months. If he doesn’t come, how should we work,” he said.