New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday said that it will hold a “state conference” in the capital to press for its demand to make Delhi a full-fledged state.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who ended his nine-day sit-in at lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal's office on Tuesday, had asserted that the demand for full statehood for Delhi will continue.
To press for their demand to make Delhi into a full-fledged state, the AAP will hold a state conference on July 1 at 3 pm at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. “You are requested to join in large numbers to make this protest a success,” AAP leader Gopal Rai tweeted.
The AAP on June 10 had launched a campaign to take the issue of Delhi's statehood to the people of the city.
Mr Rai had said that AAP leaders, MLAs and workers will hold meetings at 300 locations across Delhi on June 24, in the first phase of the agitation. In the second phase, AAP has planned to hold a party workers’ convention at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on July 1, where the next course of action will be decided, he said.
The holding of the conference comes merely days after the AAP government called a special Delhi Assembly session to discuss statehood for Delhi. The Delhi Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution that the city be given the status of a state.
Mr Kejriwal told the House that he demanded full statehood for Delhi. In this regard, he accused the L-G of creating “obstacles” in the development works carried out by the government.
The same day, the Assembly passed a resolution demanding the Centre introduce a Constitutional Amendment bill in Parliament to grant full statehood to Delhi. The call comes ahead of the 2019 general polls. The AAP is planning to strongly raise the statehood issue during the Lok Sabha elections, party insiders said.
