Arvind Kejriwal raises full-statehood issue with Home Minister Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: A day after decisively winning the Delhi elections, CM-inwaiting, Arvind Kejriwal, raised the demand of full statehood for Delhi in his maiden meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday. “Explained to both of them that full statehood for Delhi was necessary to meet people’s expectations,” Kejriwal tweeted after the meetings.

Full statehood for Delhi and passage of the Janlokpal and Swaraj bills are the first three points of the 70-point AAP manifesto and the party is expected to aggressively push for the same as in its earlier innings in power. The BJP government at the Centre is, however, unsure of conceding to the full statehood demand as BJP did not promise the same in its vision document this time though it was a part of its manifesto for Delhi in 2013.

“Full statehood will address the Delhi Police matter too,” senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia told reporters, after emerging along with Kejriwal from a short 10-minute long meeting with Rajnath Singh. Kejriwal also invited Naidu and Singh for his oath-taking ceremony on Saturday. Kejriwal also asked the Delhi Police to withdraw the Z-plus security cover provided to him on Monday, saying he does not need the same since it will impede in his mingling with the common people.

Kejriwal met President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday who gifted the CM designate a copy of the Constitution and a book authored by him. He will meet the PM on Thursday.