Thousands of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cadre on Wednesday took to streets marching to the Delhi's lieutenant Governor's office where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues have been staging a sit-in since Monday evening.
Former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, who had resigned from the BJP recently, also joined AAP leaders and workers outside the Chief Minister's Civil lines residence from where the protest march proceeded to the l-G office.
The AAP Government's demands to the l-G include a direction to IAS officers to end their "strike", action against those who have struck work for "four months". It has also asked the l-G to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of rations.
With this the ongoing tug-of-war between the Delhi Government and the l-G over IAS officers' "strike" is expected to intensify for the worse. Addressing the AAP gathering, Sinha expressed solidarity with Kejriwal and the AAP in their "struggle".
"If former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were there, he would have directed the Home Minister to find a solution to the crisis, but the present dispensation was sleeping", said Sinha, adding that the entire country was concerned with the situation in Delhi.
"It would be better for the country if a solution to the crisis in Delhi is found at the earliest," he said.
During the protest march, party leaders and workers raised slogans against the lieutenant Governor --- "lG sahab, Delhi Chhodo (lG, quit Delhi)".In view of the protest march, police made appropriate security arrangements.
Rajya Sabha member and senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said if the IAS officers give assurance in writing to end their strike and resume work, the AAP will appeal the Chief Minister and his colleagues to end their sit-in at the l-G office.
He said that the party would take out a candlelight march on Thursday, adding that if the matter was not sorted by Sunday, its leaders and workers would stage a dharna at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Singh warned that the AAP will resort to a massive agitation if no solution is found to the existing situation.
The IAS officers' Association has maintained that no officer is on strike and no work of the Delhi Government has been affected.