LG Baijal dubs Kejriwal's dharna 'unreasonable'

NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented move, the LG house issued a statement saying that the sit-in protest was unreasonable. It also claimed that the CM has 'threatened' the LG to summon the IAS officials. "In the meeting, the LG was threatened by the CM who demanded that the officers should be immediately summoned at Raj Niwas and directions should be given to end the so-called 'Strike'," the statement noted. CM Arvind Kejriwal along with Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and two other cabinet ministers went to meet Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Monday.

Claiming that there is no strike by employees, the LG said in his continued interactions with officers, it has been informed that the atmosphere of mistrust and fear continues and no sincere attempts to resolve the differences have been made so far. "The LG continued to advise the CM to build the confidence of the employees at all levels and to work out ways of addressing their genuine concerns," noted the statement. It also noted that the Budget Session 2018 was held and the budget passed with the active cooperation of the officers concerned.

"The LG still gets from his interaction with the officers is that no sincere efforts have been made to assure the officers that their respect and dignity will be protected and they will not be intimidated, physically or verbally assaulted and threatened," noted the LG.

It added,"In an unprecedented move that betrays little respect and dignity for constitutional offices, ministers defiant and continued to pressurize that the officers must be immediately summoned to Raj Niwas and the so-called 'agitation' be called off, and immediate approval of the proposal for doorstep delivery of rations be given.

Hitting back at LG, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said, "The Press release issued by the LG is clear evidence that he is the mastermind behind the IAS officer strike in Delhi for last 3 months, which has never happened in independent India."