In a 1st, Delhi CM spends night at LG's office

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues spent the night at the Lt Governor's office after their demands including a direction to IAS officers to end their "strike" and action against officers who have struck work for "four months", were not met.


Kejriwal along with his deputy Manish Sisodia and two other ministers - Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain -- met Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal at 5.30 pm yesterday and since then stayed put at the L-G office.


Last night, the chief minister, who is a diabetic, had to take insulin during the sit-in and got "specific food" from his home, sources said.


It is the first time in the history of Delhi that the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues spent the night at the L-G office to press for their demands.


Kejriwal tweeted at 6.27 am from the L-G office, saying "My dear Delhiites, good morning. Struggle continues".


A number of AAP MLAs, party's leaders and workers have also camped near the L-G office, and the police have barricaded the area.


The L-G office slammed Kejriwal's sit-in, saying it is another protest in the sequence of "dharna without reason". A statement, issued by Baijal's office last evening, stated that the L-G was "threatened" to summon officers and issue directions to them to end their "strike" immediately.


In the morning, a letter, signed by Kejriwal, Sisodia, Rai and Jain, was sent to Baijal, asking him to take all necessary steps to end the "strike" by IAS officers including issuing written orders that all those officers who do not return to work will be proceeded against and "if necessary, ESMA may be invoked".


According to the government, IAS officers have been on strike since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and are boycotting meetings with AAP ministers due to which public works are getting affected. -- PTI