M A I N   N E W S

Delhi tussle: AAP raises 18 points for Congress, BJP
Kejriwal meets Lt Governor, asks Sonia, Rajnath to clear stand on support
Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service

Key issues raised by AAP MLAs, ministers and Delhi officials will not use red beacons on their cars. Neither will they live in big bungalows, nor take any special security The Jan Lokpal Bill should be passed for which Anna Hazare has been holding fasts People be allowed to take decisions directly at “mohalla sabhas” Delhi should get complete statehood status and the Central Government’s hold on the DDA and police should end There should be a special audit of all power firms in Delhi ever since privatisation Contractual staff should be given regular jobs

New Delhi, December 14
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal today met Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, who had invited him to discuss government formation, and sought time to decide on the issue. Despite the Congress offering support to the AAP and the BJP saying that it would play the role of a constructive Opposition, the AAP leadership looked in no hurry to take over the reins of the Delhi Assembly. Rather, the party has asked the two national parties to elaborate on their stand.

Kejriwal submitted to the Lt Governor copies of the letters written by the AAP to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP president Rajnath Singh seeking their response in writing on 18 issues concerning Delhi. He said after getting reply from the two parties, AAP would take the matter to the people of Delhi and act as per their wishes.

“The Congress may have offered unconditional support, but we have conditions. The BJP also wants to give constructive support. We want them to be clear on the nature of their support and have written to Sonia Gandhi and Rajnath Singh. We would do what the people of Delhi would eventually say,” Kejriwal said after meeting the Lt Governor. AAP’s cautious move has drawn flak from senior Congress and BJP leaders who said the Kejriwal-led party was shying away from its responsibilities.

Senior Congress MLA Haroon Yusuf said, “Kejriwal and his party are taking democracy for granted. They should take over and investigate into the scams they have been talking about. They have been given a powerful mandate by the people in Delhi, yet they are reluctant (to form government).”

Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress said AAP should not push Delhi towards re-elections. “The Congress has extended unconditional support to AAP. This would be an outside support to the government on the floor of the House. How AAP runs the government and implements its promises will depend on the competence of its leaders,” Lovely said.

BJP MLA Ramesh Bidhuri said his party had not offered any support to AAP, but promised to play a constructive role 
in Opposition.

Accusing AAP of arrogance, BJP leader Balbir Punj said: “What is this height of arrogance? The party has got 28 seats in the assembly elections and instead of thinking of how to form the government, the leaders from the party are busy making baseless allegations against the other parties.”

The Lt Governor is, meanwhile, learnt to have submitted a status report to the President on the current political situation in Delhi.