More parties back Kejriwal in his stand-off with Lt Gov, Centre

More parties and leaders have come out in support of the sit-in by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, actors-turned-politicians Kamal Hassan and Shatrughan Sinha, the CPI-M and the CPI the latest.

The sit-in by Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Cabinet ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai at the Lt. Governor's office entered its fourth day on Thursday.

Akhilesh Yadav, in a tweet, said the capturing of Secretariat of the national capital by the political party in power points towards a "situation worse than the killing of the democracy".

"This is an arrogance of the power. Those who are capturing the democracy with their power today will also capture the houses of the people. The people are angry as well as scared," he said.

Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, in a series of tweets, said the current situation is "not good or desirable for our Delhi government, Central government and the people of our country".

"Can you expect a swimmer to swim when we tie his arms and hands? That is what has been done with our young, dynamic and one of the country's popular gentleman politician Kejriwal. Time for a full-fledged struggle for Delhi statehood...

"Dear Sir! You will remember that this (full statehood for Delhi) has been a very strong demand of our party since ages and of some other parties too. Sir, when do we see this happening? I hope, wish and pray it is soon, sooner the better," he tweeted.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav also attacked the BJP for taking "revenge".

"The people of Delhi have been rejecting the BJP from past 20 years and so the BJP in the centre is interrupting the works of the Kejriwal government to take revenge from the people of the Delhi. This is a beginning of an unhealthy tradition," he said.

Kamal Hassan, president of Makkal Needhi Maiam, equated the situation in Delhi and Pondicherry.

"Interference in the functioning of an elected government is unacceptable in a democracy. In fact what is happening in Delhi and in TN/Pondicherry are not too different. It is frustrating for people who want a change for the better," he tweeted.

Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also came in support of Kejriwal, accusing BJP of attacking federalism.

"BJP central government is using the office of the LG to obstruct the elected state government in Delhi to discharge its constitutional duties. This is despicable. The Centre must abandon this course of the confrontation right away.

"The BJP at the Centre has a terrible track record on federalism; of targeting states which are Opposition-ruled, their most recent bid was to attempt an illegal capture of the Karnataka state govt," he said in a tweet.

--IANS

nks/vd