BJP has taken over Delhi Secretariat, says Kejriwal; gets support from oppn leaders

New Delhi: On Thursday, which was the day 4 of the sit-in by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and three of his ministers at Lieutenant Governor’s house, several other leaders from various opposition parties have extended support to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s protest.

Meanwhile, leaders of the local unit of the BJP are also staging a sit-in at the chief minister's office at the Delhi Secretariat. The sit-in which started on Wednesday continued on Thursday with five leaders including rebel AAP legislator Kapil Mishra asserting that it will go on till they "expose" the Kejriwal government.

The party leaders also reportedly suspended a large banner from the roof of the Delhi Secretariat building bearing the message: “Delhi Secretariat, there’s no strike here. People of Delhi are on duty. The Chief Minister of Delhi is on leave.”

Expressing shock, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP has captured the Delhi Secretariat.

“Absolutely shocking. How was it allowed? Who allowed this to happen? Where was Police, Security, Bureaucracy?” Kejriwal tweeted.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, actors-turned-politicians Kamal Hassan and Shatrughan Sinha, the CPM, the CPI and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav have joined the issue and backed Delhi Chief Minister.

In a tweet in Hindi, Akhilesh Yadav said the capturing of Secretariat of the national capital by the political party in power points towards a situation “worse than the murder of democracy”.

Further targeting the BJP, Yadav said "those who have captured democracy by force will capture people's homes tomorrow".

Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, in a series of tweets, said the current situation is "not good or desirable for our Delhi government, Central government and the people of our country".

“Can you expect a swimmer to swim when we tie his arms & hands? That is what has been done with our young, dynamic & one of the country's popular gentleman politician Arvind Kejriwal . Time for a full fledged struggle for Delhi statehood,” Sinha added.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused the central government for what he called "using the office of the LG to obstruct" the Delhi government from discharging its constitutional duties.

"This is despicable. The Centre must abandon this course of confrontation right away", Yechury tweeted.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the BJP and said the party was taking "revenge" as the people of Delhi have been rejecting it from past 20 years.

"The people of Delhi have been rejecting the BJP from past 20 years and so the BJP in the centre is interrupting the works of the Kejriwal government to take revenge from the people of the Delhi. This is a beginning of an unhealthy tradition," he said.

Kamal Haasan, who launched his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam earlier this year, said interference in the functioning of an elected government is unacceptable in a democracy.

The CPI, in a letter written to Delhi Lieutenant Governor, said the L-G "cannot stop the functioning of the elected government of Delhi on the advice of any political party in power".

Kejriwal and ministers Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain have been staying put at the waiting room of the L-G office over their demands, including a direction to IAS officers to end their "strike" and action against those who have struck work.

They also want the L-G to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of ration.

On Thursday, Kejriwal also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to end the IAS officers' "strike" claiming that Lt Governor Anil Baijal was doing "nothing" to break the impasse.

Read: Kejriwal's sit-in protest enters day 4, urges PM to intervene to end IAS officers' strike

Meanwhile, it was reportedly said that Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has been working from home as Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues continue their sit-in at his office.

Also Read: L-G works from home as Kejriwal, ministers occupy his office in protest

The sources said the L-G was going through files related to Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority and other departments at his residence, but he did not receive any Delhi government files as the chief minister and his three ministers continued their protest.