Kejriwal to sit on fast unto death for Delhi statehood Hunger strike to start on March 1……..

Kejriwal to sit on fast unto death for Delhi statehood Hunger strike to start on March 1……..

Terming his fight as “aar paar ki ladai” (final battle), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal raised the pitch for full statehood to Delhi ahead of Lok Sabha elections. Announcing an indefinite hunger strike from March 1, the AAP adopted a resolution demanding that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) take necessary legal and legislative steps to declare Delhi a full-fledged State immediately.“This House resolves that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area in Delhi, which is governed by the NDMC Act be kept under the exclusive control of the Central Government, and the rest of NCT of Delhi be declared a full-fledged State,” the resolution quoted.Addressing the Assembly, Kejriwal said, “I will sit on an indefinite hunger strike from March 1 to organise people for the full Statehood demand. Even if we die in this movement, we will gladly do so but this ‘aar paar ki ladai’ will continue and Delhi will get full Statehood.”Kejriwal had staged a hunger strike in his earlier avatar as an anti-corruption activist before the formation of the AAP, and this will be first such stir after becoming the CM of Delhi in 2015.Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre’s alleged interference in Delhi’s affairs, Kejriwal said, “I want to tell the Prime Minister to handle Pakistan which he has not been able to do, and give the Delhi Police and MCD to Delhi Govt.”Accusing both the Congress and the BJP of “back-stabbing” Delhi over full statehood issue, Kejriwal said their Governments exploited Delhi.“Even the Britishers did not commit so much atrocities. Delhi people pay Rs 1.5 lakh crore as Income Tax and received only Rs 325 crore from the Centre,” said the CM.“We will give each Delhi family a house within 10 years after attaining full statehood. We will give employment to youths, regularise ad-hoc employees, open universities and send corrupt officers to jail,” he promised.The resolution questioned how a politically nominated Lt Governor could act as a “super-boss” of a democratically elected Council of Ministers in Delhi.AAP leaders said Kejriwal will hold meetings with party MLAs, MPs and office-bearers over the weekend to plan the full statehood movement.Notably, Kejriwal has been demanding full statehood for Delhi since he came to power in 2015.