Indefinite hunger strike decision taken as last resort: Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said he has decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike demanding full statehood for Delhi after all other efforts failed.

Kejriwal said his decision to go on fast from March 1 had been taken "as a last and final resort" when all possible efforts to persuade the Centre to allow the elected Delhi government to function without unjustified interference and obstacles failed.

He said in a statement that in the last four years, the Modi government deliberately passed orders to snatch the powers of the elected Delhi government and "this treachery will now be placed before the court of the people, which is supreme in a democracy".

"The Modi government has illegally interfered in every decision of the elected Delhi government since 2015."

He said Modi lied to the people on granting statehood for Delhi, and "Delhiites are now no longer willing to suffer any more injustice on this issue".

The Chief Minister said the lame excuse that since Delhi was the capital of India therefore it cannot be granted statehood does not work.

"Delhi is India's capital, so let the Centre keep the entire NDMC area under its complete control. How can the rest of Delhi, in which Delhiites elect their own government, be kept subservient to the Centre? No more injustice can be tolerated."

He accused the Modi government of creating hurdles in all major decisions of public welfare taken by the Delhi government.

"From the installation of CCTVs for residents' safety to construction of schools, hospitals, Mohalla Clinics, hurdles were created in the implementation of each and every decision at every step. We tried everything from fervent appeals to dharnas and even knocked at the doors of courts. Finally, we are left with no option. So we are going on an indefinite fast," said Kejriwal.

The Chief Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today stands completely exposed on the issue of providing statehood to Delhi since it has suddenly taken a U-turn on its decades-old stand.

"BJP's opposition to the statehood for Delhi now is its confession that Modi lied to the people of Delhi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. People of Delhi will respond to lies and decades of deceit appropriately now," Kejriwal said.

--IANS

nks/mag/mr