Officers’ strike: Kejriwal urges Modi to intervene

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14

On a day when Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal urged Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for his intervention into the prevailing deadlock between the AAP government and LG Anil Baijal over the bureaucrats' strike, support came pouring in from string of political leaders and parties, including the Left, Samajwadi, Loktantrik Janata Dal and Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam.

In a letter to the PM, Kejriwal today sought his help “with folded hands” to break the impasse in Delhi immediately stating that the Union government and the LG have control over the IAS officers, but the LG, he alleged, has refused to end the strike despite repeated requests by the city government.

The CM cited a list of projects that remain stuck in the capital due to the officers abstaining from meeting ministers for the past three months. Among such works,  include cleaning of drains before monsoon, preventive measures for Dengue and Chikungunya, setting up new mohalla clinics and polyclinics and measures to curb air pollution.

Pointing out that pollution is the biggest concern in the city, Kejriwal stated earlier in every 15 days a review and planning meeting used to be held on the issue, but there is none due to the strike.

Several political leaders and parties, including CPI’s general secretary Sitaram Yechury, SP president and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, actor-turned politician Haasan and BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, to name a few, today backed the AAP government in its fight against the BJP-led Centre with the sit-in by Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues at LG office entering the fourth day today.