AAP threatens stir if issue not solved by Oct 8
Former Delhi Chief Minister and national convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind Kejriwal on Monday threatened to launch a protest against the Centre if it failed to take action on the e-rickshaw issue by October 8. Kejriwal wrote a letter to Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday over the e-rickshaw issue in the national Capital and asked him to clear the hurdles involved at the earliest.
In his letter to Gadkari, Kejriwal reminded him about his promise to get all the problems of the e-rickshaw drivers sorted out by September end. He informed that as opposed to his promise the Ministry officials say it will take some more time for the notification to be issued. “The poor e-rickshaw drivers are suffering for no fault of theirs. Despite Prime Minister’s assertion that red-tapism is being eliminated from the Government offices, reality seems otherwise,” reads Kejriwal’s letter.
Kejriwal alleged that the Congress-led UPA Government did not frame any policy for e-rickshaws despite the Delhi High Court’s directive in February this year. He also alleged absence of any action on the ground by the NDA Government in its last four months of working.
“You (Gadkari) had made big announcements at the Ramlila Ground on June 17 that Motor Vehicles Act will be amended to include e-rickshaws into its ambit in order to legalize it. But when we met you on September 16 you told us that your announcements was not found to be legally tenable the Solicitor General had cited legal hurdles in its implementation,” said the AAP leader.
Kejriwal accused Gadkari of misleading the e-rickshaw drivers. “I was shocked at your reply. Does this mean that you had made the announcements without consulting your ministry officials and law officers of the government to mislead the poor e-rickshaw driversIJ” he asked. He added that e-rickshaw drivers of Delhi will organise a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 8 in support of their demands, in case the Government fails to accept their demands by that date. Bring back the pedal pushers!
