Pitching his demand for the full Statehood status to Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal went a step further and declared that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 general elections if Delhi is granted full Statehood. However, he warned the Modi Government that in the event of Delhi not being granted full Statehood, the AAP would conduct a “BJP, quit Delhi” campaign.
“I want to say to the BJP, give full-Statehood status to Delhi before the lok Sabha polls, every vote of people will go in favour of the BJP and we (AAP) will campaign for them in the lok Sabha election,” Kejriwal said in the Assembly on Monday. “But, if they (BJP) do not give full Statehood to Delhi, people here will say that BJP walon, Delhi chhodo (BJP, quit Delhi),” he added.
Speaking on his Government’s resolution adopted in the Assembly seeking full Statehood status to Delhi, Kejriwal sought to know from Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether his promise to give full Statehood to Delhi during the 2014 lok Sabha elections was just a “jumla” (election rhetoric).
Kejriwal alleged that the people of Delhi were being “harassed” by the Centre at a scale the British had not done during their rule.
Equating the lieutenant Governor with viceroy during the British rules, Kejriwal said Delhi was being ruled by “Kings” since 1556, adding that in 1947, India got Independence, but Delhi is yet to get “freedom” as they (Centre) have appointed the
l-G in place of viceroy to rule the national Capital.
“There is no people’s rule in Delhi. King l-G is running Delhi...I want to ask why we (Delhiites) have not got freedom yet. Our ancestors had also fought for India’s freedom...” Kejriwal said in the Delhi Assembly.
Giving a call for “freedom of Delhi”, he said the time has come for the people of Delhi to “fight for their freedom” and implement the “people’s rule” in Delhi, and “throw away l-G’s rule”.
Invoking Bal Gangahar Tilak, Kejriwal said, “Swaraj mera Janam sidh adikar hai (Swaraj is my birthright)...We will implement swaraj in Delhi as the l-G is only accountable to the Prime Minister, and not the people of Delhi.”
He said in 1992, the Central Government had made a system to hold elections in Delhi as the British had done the same in 1935 under which elections used to be held, but “viceroys had power”.
“The Centre had made a bad joke with Delhi in 1992. I want to ask why Delhiites are treated as second class citizens. Why are we half citizensIJ Why the cost of Delhiites’ vote is zeroIJ” he asked. In Delhi, “BJP’s l-G” doesn’t allow the Government to work, he said, adding that “King l-G” creates hurdles in the Government’s work.
lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in 2019. Ahead of polls, the Kejriwal-led AAP has decided to strongly raise the issue of full Statehood among people in Delhi.
Under its campaign, AAP has given workers a slogan - “lG, quit Delhi” In the 2014 lok Sabha polls, the BJP had won all seven seats in Delhi.
Eyeing lok Sabha elections, the AAP on Sunday decided to hold meeting at 300 locations across Delhi on the issue of full Statehood. Under the plan, the AAP will also hold workers’ convention on July 1 where Kejriwal will address them on the issue.