Kejriwal and His Ministers Spend Second Night at L-G's Waiting Room, Won't Budge Till Demands Met

New Delhi: An unprecedented situation is unfurling in the national capital as Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is taking his protest against L-G Anil Baijal at the latter’s residence into the second night straight. Kejriwal confirmed his intentions in a tweet saying “our second night at LG House”.

Kejriwal, along with his deputy, Manish Sisodia and two other ministers, started their sit-in at the Raj Niwas at 6 pm on Monday and have not moved from the waiting room or even changed clothes.

Health minister Satyendar Jain, who is accompanying Kejriwal, Sisodia and Gopal Rai, have meanwhile started a hunger strike.

The chief minister tweeted around 9 pm: "Our 2nd nite at LG House. We r here becoz. We luv Del n we care for Del. We hv worked v hard for Del. We want Del to further improve. We feel shattered becoz many. great initiatives getting stuck. Lets improve our beloved Del, LG Sir. N lets do it together (sic).”

The Delhi ministers are turning the unique protest into a sleepover yet again on Tuesday and will spend another night sleeping on the couches at the Raj Niwas waiting room. The group went to meet Baijal at 5.30 pm on Monday.

Meanwhile, Baijal skipped office as Kejriwal’s protest entered the second day. According to PTI, the L-G office provided tea and snacks to the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues during the day. Food was also allowed from outside.

The chief minister, who suffers from diabetes, had to take insulin during the sit-in and got "specific food" from his home.

"What is your compulsion? Can't you (L-G) issue an order asking IAS officers to end your strike for the people of Delhi?" Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.

The cabinet ministers have been demanding that the L-G issue a direction to IAS officers to end their "strike" and take action against officers who have struck work for "four months".

IAS officers have been on strike since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and are boycotting meetings with AAP ministers due to which public works are getting affected, according to the government.

However, the officers association claimed that no officer is on strike and no work has been affected.

Both the LG’s office and the IAS Association have issued statements negating AAP’s claims.

“There is no strike by employees of GNCTD and in his continued interactions with officers, it has been informed that the atmosphere of mistrust and fear continues and no sincere attempts to resolve the differences have been made so far. Hon’ble LG continued to advise Hon’ble Chief Minister to build the confidence of the employees at all levels and to work out ways of addressing their genuine concerns,” a Raj Niwas statement read.

The AAP government has raised three demands before L-G Anil Baijal seeking his direction to end the "strike" by IAS officers, punishment to officers who have struck work and approval to his government's doorstep ration delivery scheme.

The BJP and the Congress both have slammed Kejriwal, terming his 'dharna' at the L-G office a "mockery of democracy" and a "drama".

Leaders and workers of the AAP gathered at Kejriwal's residence to extend support to their leader and said a march will be taken out from the CM House to the Lt Governor (L-G) office on Wednesday by the party's MPs and MLAs.