BJP Delhi leader Vijender Gupta, on hunger strike against Kejriwal, hospitalised: Party

Vijender Gupta and other BJP leaders began their indefinite hunger strike on June 15 against the “non-performance” of the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta, who was on an indefinite hunger strike against the “non-performance” of the Arvind Kejriwal government, was on Tuesday shifted to GB Pant Hospital due to failing health, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said.

Leader of Opposition of Delhi Vijender Gupta and MLA Jagdish Pardhan leave after attending Delhi Assembly monsoon session in New Delhi, India on August 23, 2016. Photo By Sonu Mehta / Hindustan Times) (Sonu Mehta/HT File Photo)

“Vijender Gupta being taken to the hospital. He was on indefinite hunger strike with us for the last five days. May God bless (Delhi chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal’s wisdom,” the party’s member of Parliament from West Delhi Parvesh Sahib Singh tweeted.

Gupta along with Singh, MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kapil Mishra started their indefinite hunger strike on June 15 over the acute water shortage in several areas of the national capital.

The BJP leaders also said they were protesting against the sit-in by Kejriwal and his deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, health minister Satyendar Jain and labour minister Gopal Rai at Lt Governor Anil Baijal’s office.

The AAP leaders started the sit-in on June 11 to press for their demands, including a direction to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers to end their alleged “strike” and action against those who have struck work.

They also asked for the Centre to approve the AAP government’s proposal to deliver ration to the poor at their houses.

Sisodia and Jain, who were hospitalised during their hunger strike, were discharged on Tuesday. Sisodia said he is “recovering fast” and will resume work from Tuesday if doctors allowed him to do so.

Kejriwal is continuing his protest at Baijal’s office along with Rai.

“Eight days of wait to meet Hon’ble LG. Dy CM and UD minister shifted to hospital due to bad health. Hon’ble LG could not find eight minutes in eight days for the people of Delhi,” the chief minister tweeted on Tuesday.

The Delhi high court disapproved the sit-in led by Kejriwal at the LG’s office and asked the AAP government who had authorised their protest. And, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused an urgent on a plea seeking its direction to declare as “unconstitutional” the sit-in of Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues.