Kejriwal reiterates statehood demand

The Chief Minister said the decision to make the Lieutenant Governor the supremo of Delhi was an insult to the people of Delhi and the choice they made in the February 2015 Assembly elections. 

Taking a dig without referring anyone, Kejriwal questioned: “Why should the value of a vote in Delhi be any less than that of a person voting in say a state like Haryana?

“If a person votes in a state like Haryana, the elected government has much more power but the powers of a government elected by people of Delhi are  lot less. This scenario is an insult to the people of the Delhi. This is wrong,” Kejriwal said. “We Delhiites are part of this country. We are in the Capital city and by that measure we have a greater right to have equal powers but our vote has no value,” he asserted.

Addressing a meeting to mark the unveiling of a statue of Delhi’s first Chief Minister, Chaudhary Brahm Prakash at government-run Charak Sansthan in Khera Dabar, Najafgarh, Kejriwal also made an oblique criticism of a Delhi high court ruling that has given Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung primacy in the affairs of the administration in the Capital.

The Chief Minister launched a scathing attack on the Central government saying that he and his government will fight for full statehood for Delhi and will go to any extent to make it happen for the benefit of the people of Delhi.

Chief Minister Kejriwal quoted late Brahm Prakash’s son as saying that his father too fought doggedly to secure statehood for Delhi. Citing a conversation with the son of Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, Kejriwal said: “Chaudhary Brahm Prakash’s son told me that his father was as ‘ziddi’ (adamant) as we are and would pursue with determination whatever he sought for the people. Once we decide to do something we do it. Chahey uskey liye thodi si ungli tedhi kyon na karni padhey (even if it requires twisting my fingers a bit). Kai baari seedhi ungli sey ghee nahin nikalta phir ungli tedhi karni padti hai (Sometimes it is not possible to achieve the goal with a straight finger so you have to twist it).” 

“The issues we are fighting for today are what Delhi’s first Chief Minister Chaudhary Brahm Prakash was fighting for in 1950-51. He too was saying Delhi should get full statehood and we are also asking for the same. He was also fighting for the rights of the people of Delhi and so are we,” Kejriwal said adding: “aur yeh jo itney badey badey goondey baithey hain yeh aisey nahin maantey (These goons don’t understand anything the straightway).”

Underlining the development work being done by the AAP government, Kejriwal said that providing better education and health facilities were the main focuses of his government. “We are focusing more on health and education because we feel that better education of our children will help in the development of our nation.”

He said the government would open 1,000 Mohalla Clinics by the end of this year and that 100 of them were already functional.

“We want to construct 10 big hospitals across Delhi but the DDA (Delhi Development Authority) is not providing us land even though we are ready to pay for it,” he added. He also said that a naturopathy centre would be opened at the Chaudhry Brahm Prakash Ayurveda Charak Sansthan in Outer Delhi.