New Delhi: Lambasting chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for his sit-in protest inside Raj Niwas, his predecessor Sheila Dikshit said that the AAP leader was not at all conscious of his constitutional duties due to which people of Delhi were suffering.
Ms Dikshit, a three-time Delhi chief minister, said it was “completely unacceptable” that head of the government was sitting on a “dharna” at the lieutenant-governor’s house when the city was reeling under severe water crisis and other problems.
The leader said people of Delhi had given Mr Kejriwal a “huge” majority and he does not have any option of staying away from his responsibilities and inflicting pain and miseries on the common man.
“What message you are giving? It (dharna) makes no sense. People of Delhi are very very disappointed because they brought him with a huge majority. There is not a single Congress MLA in Delhi Assembly. BJP had won only 3 seats. You had sweep and this is how you are misutilising it,” Ms Dikshit said.
Referring to Delhi’s administrative structure, Ms Dikshit said there were limitations of powers for the Delhi CM and the constraints coming in the way of governance can be overcome by being logical and not by adopting a confrontational approach.
Ms Dikshit said there was a crisis situation in Delhi and the chief minister sitting at the L-G house on a kind of a dharna was just not acceptable. “Delhi is at a standstill and because of it (protest by chief minister) citizens are suffering,” said Ms Dikshit, whose 15-year rule had come to an end in 2013 following AAP’s foray into politics.
On Mr Kejriwal’s face-off with the Centre as well as with the bureaucrats, the Congress veteran said, “You are inviting everything yourself and then trying to make a martyr of yourself.”
The bureaucrats in the AAP government have been on a symbolic strike, boycotting meetings with ministers since February following an alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the CM’s official residence. The officers have demanded an apology from Mr Kejriwal for the incident.
Recalling her tenure as chief minister of Delhi when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, Ms Dikshit said she did not have any problem with the BJP dispensation at the Centre and cited the example of Delhi Metro project and introduction of CNG in public transport as success stories of both the governments working together.
“When you are in administration you do not have indulge in conflicts. You should try and bring everyone together. Now there is conflict and nothing else. Have you come to govern the city only to have conflicts or have you come here to rule the city. You have been chosen as a somebody who will rule the city and you are going away from that completely,” she said.
