Indefinite hunger strike by Arvind Kejriwal to garner support for his demand of full statehood: Rai

AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will sit on indefinite hunger strike from March 1 to garner support for his demand of full statehood for Delhi, party convenor Gopal Rai said Monday.

Rai said he will write letters to Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari asking them about their stand on the issue.

The BJP and Congress have questioned Kejriwal's decision to go on fast, saying it is a move targeted to gain political mileage weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"Kejriwal has no demand from the government and his fast is being held to organise people on the issue of full statehood. He will decide when people are organised over the issue. Till then the hunger strike will go on," Rai told reporters.

He said the venue of Kejriwal's hunger strike is yet to be decided.

Speaking at Delhi Assembly's ongoing budget session, Kejriwal on Saturday had announced to go on indefinite hunger strike from March 1.

Rai said it is surprising that Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit, who had earlier supported the demand for full statehood of Delhi, is now speaking BJP's language.

"I am going to write letters to Sheila Dikshit and Manoj Tiwari asking them about their stand on full statehood issue which was supported earlier by their parties," he said.

The letters will ask them whether they think the earlier support to the issue by their leaders was wrong and whether they feel it will be beneficial for people of Delhi, the AAP leader said.

Rai said AAP wanted the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to be fought on the issue of full statehood to Delhi and he would ask BJP and Congress to join in.