The AAP government, on Sunday, fired yet another salvo at the Centre, accusing Narendra Modi for induL-Ging in what might be termed the “biggest U-turn” on BJP’s poll promises of granting full statehood to Delhi, and maintained that it would not face such bullying in silence.
As the AAP government marked 100 days in office, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the <g data-gr-id="51">Modi-government</g> has been trying to run Delhi “by hook or by crook” through the Lt Governor.
“Modi-government minister Harsh Vardhan has been saying it repeatedly...Modiji himself had said, and they had put it in their manifesto to give Delhi a full statehood. Now, when the issue has come up, let alone our right, or talking about it, they are showing <g data-gr-id="57">dadagiri</g> (<g data-gr-id="58">dadagiri</g> <g data-gr-id="59">dikha</g> <g data-gr-id="60">rahen</g> <g data-gr-id="61">hain</g>). And, Delhi government will not be <g data-gr-id="55">mum</g> on the issue,” he said.
The remarks came a day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that full statehood rights cannot be given to Delhi, unless there is consensus in the country over the issue, as the matter concerns the national Capital.
“Whenever there will be <g data-gr-id="53">general</g> consensus in the country on giving full statehood status to the national Capital, it is possible. But till that is not done, full statehood rights cannot be given to the state government,” Arun Jaitley had said on Saturday.
Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia, who is an MLA from <g data-gr-id="63">Patpargunj</g> area in the national Captial, also accused the BJP of being “scared of a contest” between the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister.
“The Centre’s biggest U-turn in the last one year is on the issue of giving full statehood status to Delhi. why is the BJP scared of a contest between Kejriwal and Modi?” he said.
Sisodia was quoted saying through the AAP’s official Twitter handle.
The appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary by the L-G had triggered a full-blown war between the ruling AAP and the Lt-Governor <g data-gr-id="46">Najeen</g> Jung with Kejriwal questioning the L-G’s authority and accusing him of trying to take over the administration.
Alleging that plans were afoot to save the “betrayers” of the national Capital, Sisodia said that the AAP government was working as well as fighting, and “Delhiites are happy with the work of the government”.
“Officers behind the ‘transfer-posting’ industry in Delhi are playing politics after their retirement. We are working as well as fighting. People have not elected us to play chess or put our arms around these betrayers,” Chief Minister Kejriwal’s trusted lieutenant said.