Sealing drive: Kejriwal calls all-party meet on March 13

New Delhi: Cutting across party lines, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for an all-party meeting at his residence on Tuesday to find solutions to the problems being faced by traders due to the sealing drive in the capital.

The chief minister on Sunday wrote letters to Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and Congress leader Ajay Maken, in which he said, “We should rise above politics and come together to find a solution to the problems that have risen due to sealing drive”.

He also suggested that not more than three people from each party should be at the meeting so that it can be held smoothly.

Reacting to Mr Kejriwal’s move, Mr Maken thanked him for calling the meeting on the contentious issue. But, the  BJP stated, they would decide on their participation after consulting Mr Tiwari, who is currently abroad.

Mr Maken, who had written a letter to Mr Kejriwal on Saturday, offering to share with the CM what he felt could be a solution to stop the ongoing sealing drive, thanked him for accepting his request.

Praising the CM for inviting the BJP to the meet, since the three municipal corporations of Delhi are ruled by the saffron party, the Delhi Congress chief expressed hope that the BJP would participate in the meeting and said the situation demanded “positive politics”.

In his letter, Mr Maken had claimed that according to the amended Master Plan and the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011, no sealing can be carried out in Delhi. “Being a former Union urban development minister, I can say with confidence that to save Delhi from sealing, many amendments had already been made in the Master Plan 2021,” he had said in the letter. He said Mr Maken, being a former Union urban development minister would be able to offer practical solutions to the sealing issue.

In January, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta had alleged that AAP leaders and workers misbehaved with a BJP delegation at the CM’s residence when they had gone there to discuss about relief to traders hit by sealing drive. A case was lodged in the matter and some AAP MLAs were booked.

The CM had on Saturday written letters to PM  Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to discuss the sealing issue and stressed the need to bring a Bill in Parliament to stop the drive.