NDMC House passes resolution to condemn sit-in by Kejriwal, AAP ministers

The House of the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) today passed a resolution to "condemn the sit-in" by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues at the Lieutenant Governor's office, which entered its eighth day today, officials said.

Alleging that the protest was done in an "illegal manner", the NDMC House also resolved to request Lt Governor Anil Baijal to "initiate action" on this "violation of the Constitution" by the Delhi Cabinet.

"The Delhi chief minister and his ministers had taken oath to work according to the Constitutional guidelines, and therefore to oblige by those rules is their bounden duty," the resolution said.

The resolution came amid the Delhi government and its IAS officers showing signs of a thaw today with both sides expressing readiness for talks to end the impasse.

Kejriwal, along with his colleagues, has been holding a protest at the L-G's office, demanding a direction to the officers to end their "strike" and approve the doorstep ration delivery scheme.

His deputy Manish Sisodia was today sent to hospital while Health minister Satyendar Jain was hospitalised late last night, after sitting on indefinite fast for nearly a week.

The Delhi BJP has also been accusing the AAP of resorting to "dharna politics" while the Kejriwal-led party held a huge show of solidarity yesterday, as a large number of party workers marched in support of Kejriwal and his colleagues.

"The sit-in has been done without due notice and for political motives, it is in violation of the oath taken by Kejriwal and his ministers while assuming office," the resolution alleged.

Leader of House in NDMC Tilak Raj Kataria passed the resolution which said, "It condemns the sit-in by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues at the Lt Governor's office," the NDMC said in a statement.

"The NDMC House also resolves to request Lt Governor Anil Baijal to initiate action on this violation of the Constitution by the Delhi Cabinet," the resolution said.

Also, the Delhi High Court today virtually disapproved of the sit-in led by Kejriwal and asked the AAP government who had authorised such a protest.