AAP seeks time to meet PM Modi over full statehood demand for Delhi

Gopal Rai, who is AAP’s Delhi convenor, on Tuesday wrote to Modi, seeking time to meet him on August 27 so that he could discuss the issue of statehood and hand over “10 lakh letters” Delhiites have written in support of the demand.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai on Tuesday sought time from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the party’s demand for full statehood for Delhi.

This was Gopal Rai’s second letter to PM Modi where he sought time from him to discuss the issue of statehood for Delhi. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Rai, who is AAP’s Delhi convenor, on Tuesday wrote to Modi, seeking time to meet him on August 27 so that he could discuss the issue of statehood and hand over “10 lakh letters” Delhiites have written in support of the demand.

In his letter to Modi, Delhi’s labour minister Rai sought an appointment with him for August 27. This is Rai’s second letter to the PM where he sought time from him to discuss the issue of statehood. “The people of Delhi had been demanding full statehood for decades. 10 lakh people of the city have written letters to appeal you for fulfilment of their demand. AAP supports their demand of full statehood for Delhi. So I along with party MLAs want to hand over you those letters and let you know their plight,” Rai said in the letter.

The AAP government and the L-G’s office had been locked in a tussle over a range of issues. The AAP leadership believes if Delhi gets full statehood, the stalemate will end.

At a meeting of the party on full statehood in June, CM Kejriwal had said it was an insult to Delhi’s voters if their elected government was not able to take decisions without the L-G’s approval.

To press for its full statehood demand, the AAP government had called a three-day special session of the Delhi Assembly in June. On June 11, 2018, the assembly had passed a resolution on statehood and sent it to the ministry of home affairs.

Later in July, the AAP held a massive rally at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The AAP also started a door-to-door campaign for Delhi’s statehood. Party legislators and volunteers had reached out to 10 lakh people across the city and appealed to the public to sign letters for the full statehood demand.