Mayors of BJP-Led MCDs End Protest Outside CM Kejriwal’s Residence

The Delhi HC had asked the police to shift protesters from outside the CM’s residence following a plea by the RWA.

Almost a fortnight after they began a sit-in outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, mayors and councilors of three Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled municipal corporations in city ended their protest on Saturday, 19 December, following a Delhi High Court order, reported Hindustan Times.

The protest was held over allegations of the Aam Aadmi Party government’s alleged failure to pay around Rs 13,000 crore, that were due to the MCDs.

The Delhi police had asked the protesters to vacate the venue, after the high court said that the presence of picketers outside the chief minister’s house was giving an “incorrect signal” about prohibitory orders not being followed.

While asking Delhi Police to shift the protesters, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said a plea file by the Civil Lines Residents Association had maintained that frequent roadblocks by protesters had become a major inconvenience for those inhabiting the locality.

Three-Day Hunger Strike Ends

According to The Hindu, the three mayors, who had been on a hunger strike for three days, ended their stir after senior BJP leader and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, along with Delhi BJP Chief Adesh Gupta, visited the mayors and offered them juice.

I am happy that Mayors, Dy Mayors & officials of various MCDs who were on an indefinite hunger strike for past 3 days & indefinite protest outside Delhi CM’s residence for past 21 days agreed to accept glasses of juice that @BJP4Delhi President Sh @adeshguptabjp & I offered them pic.twitter.com/4qyH27lgt4

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) December 19, 2020

Addressing media persons, Puri, who’s the Union Housing and Urban Development Minister, said that the protesters had been raising the many problems faced by MCD employees, many of whom had unpaid salaries.

“Instead of helping them, the government is not releasing Rs 13,000 crore. The CM didn’t even come and speak to them. There can be change of heart and I hope he (Kejriwal) understands the gravity of the situation and finds a solution to the problem.”

Puri, as quoted by Hindustan Times

While BJP has vowed to conduct a door-to-door campaign to inform citizens about the alleged default in payment, the Aam Aadmi Party had labeled the allegations as “complete lie.”

Aam Aadmi Party’s civic bodies in-charge Durgesh Pathak said that the BJP accuses the Delhi government of not paying dues of Rs 13,000 crore, every time BJP-run MCDs are asked to pay staff salaries.

(With inputs from The Hindu and Hindustan Times)