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Will burn BJP’s 2014 manifesto for U-turn on full statehood for Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
In a closed-door meeting on Monday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders that he would burn the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 2014 election manifesto for taking a U-turn on the issue of full statehood for Delhi.
In a closed-door meeting on Monday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders that he would burn the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 2014 election manifesto for taking a U-turn on the issue of full statehood for Delhi. Kejriwal also asked his party’s legislators and senior office bearers to do so, senior AAP leaders who participated in the meeting told Hindustan Times.
This was the first such meeting organised by Kejriwal, also the AAP national convener, after the announcement of the general election schedule. Delhi is scheduled to go to the polls on May 12. Monday’s meeting was attended by all ministers of Delhi government, AAP legislators, the six candidates fielded by the party in Delhi so far and the party’s senior office bearers.
“The chief minister has said that he will burn the BJP’s 2014 manifesto as a mark of protest,” said Atishi, AAP’s candidate from East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, who was present in the meeting that started around 6pm at Kejriwal’s residence and lasted for around two hours.
AAP legislator Madan Lal, who was present in the meeting, said: “The CM has told us that he himself will burn the BJP’s manifesto on March 13 [Wednesday]. The MLAs have been asked to burn BJP manifestos in their respective constituencies on March 15 [Friday] and ward in-charges have been asked to do so on March 17 [Sunday].”
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, BJP had included in its manifesto the promise of full statehood for Delhi, where it had lost all seven seats to the Congress in the previous Lok Sabha polls.
The developments in Monday’s meeting were confirmed by three more senior AAP leaders who did not wish to be identified. In the meeting, Kejriwal reiterated that the party is going to fight the general election in Delhi with the prime agenda of full statehood and that all other promises would revolve around that theme, AAP leaders present in the meeting said.
Delhi is considered an exception under provisions of the Indian constitution. In Delhi, the elected government does not get power over certain departments, including public order, police and land.
AAP leaders present in Monday’s meeting further said a video was shown in the meeting in which Kejriwal elaborated on the benefits of full statehood for Delhi, connecting the idea with issues that concern law and order, jobs, education and development. Kejriwal also explained in the meeting how all issues in Delhi that include health and education too could be linked with full statehood. The MLAs have been instructed to carry forward this message in their constituencies ensuring that the message reaches every household, they said.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said: “Every political party is free to protest or campaign against other political parties but while doing so, basic political decorum should be maintained. Aam Aadmi Party’s announcement of burning the BJP manifesto is nothing but a cheap gimmick to be in the news. Arvind Kejriwal’s sudden love for full statehood has nothing to do with Delhi’s development. It is just an alibi to cover up developmental and administrative failures for four years”.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari did not respond to phone calls and text messages.
