AAP to start campaign for full statehood to Delhi

Delhi's ruling AAP on Friday announced that to push for their demand that Delhi get full statehood, they will launch a campaign from July 1 where every locality's elected representative will be invited to discuss why Delhi needs to be a "full state."

Addressing the media here, Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai said: "On July 1, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will organise a state gathering at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium at 3 p.m., where every locality's representative will participate and discuss why the national capital needs full statehood."

In the next phase of "Dilli maange apna haq" (Delhi demands its right) campaign, he said, the AAP, from July 3-25, will reach out to 10 lakh families in Delhi to sign on the demand for full statehood.

"Our party workers will go to every household in Delhi, along with a letter from (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal, to sign a letter demanding full statehood for Delhi. We will then deliver these signed letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Rai said.

He said that while the area under New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) can come under the Central government, the rest of Delhi should be given full statehood.

"The NDMC zone, where all the dignitaries live should be handled by the Central government and the rest of the Delhi should be given full statehood so that when the time comes, the people of the state could demand answers from the state government," he said.

Rai said that if Delhi is given full statehood, problems like unemployment, admission of Delhi youth in colleges, and slum clusters would be solved.

"Youth with 95 per cent marks are roaming around from college to college but not getting admission. If Delhi becomes a full state, then we can build more colleges on Delhi's land which will guarantee admission in Delhi.

"If Delhi is granted full statehood, then we can guarantee a house for every resident and a job for at least 80 per cent people," he said.

Calling the whole situation a big insult to the people of Delhi, Rai said that the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party had always demanded Delhi get full statehood but now "Congress is also hiding its face and BJP is covering up the matter".

--IANS

sd/vd