Sisodia joins Jain on hunger strike
NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia joined an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday with Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, on day three of the sit-in protest led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inside Lieutenant Governor's Anil Baijal's house.
Tuesday was the second day of the unprecedented protest, as four top ministers of the Delhi Cabinet stayed put at Raj Niwas.
Meanwhile, support has started to galvanise for the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government, across political parties, civil society and the citizenry.
"Today, I am also sitting on an indefinite hunger strike to ensure that Delhiites get their right and also get their pending works cleared. Satyendar Jain's hunger strike is continuing since yesterday..." Sisodia tweeted in Hindi on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal said that Sisodia's fast was against the "obstructions" being created in the government works being done for the people.
According to AAP leaders, the protest by Sisodia, Jain and Labour Minister Gopal Rai is likely to be a prolonged affair.
The protest started on Monday at the waiting room of the LG house, where they have no sleeping arrangements.
The main demand of the leaders is that the LG should immediately ask IAS officers in Delhi, who are reportedly on strike for the last 114 days, to return to work.
Their second demand is to grant clearance to the doorstep delivery of services proposal.
While the IAS officers association dismissed the government's accusation as "baseless", in a communique they admitted that officers are "not attending routine meetings called by the ministers and the CM".
In a statement, the LG office backed the IAS officers, saying they have been working as usual and the onus was on the CM and ministers to improve their relationship with the bureaucrats.
The communique also accused Kejriwal of "threatening" the LG and holding a "dharna without reason".
Kejriwal on Tuesday had said that the party is ready for any struggle "for the citizens and their development."
"It is a fight for the citizens and we are fighting for your water, electricity, and roads but the IAS officials are on strike hence the development work is getting affected. We have urged LG to solve the issue but he has not accepted our demand," said CM Kejriwal.
