Kejri now sounds central rule alarm

Wonders if city next after Arunachal

A day after the Union Cabinet recommended imposition of President’s Rule in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal threw hints that the capital could be next in line.

“Since the news of recommendation of Centre’s Rule in Arunachal Pradesh broke, I have been receiving calls from journalists that it is Delhi’s turn now. I tell them that it cannot be possible as we are doing good work here and it is all a rumour,” the Chief Minister said.

He, however, hinted that he believes there could be some truth to these rumours.
“I ignored similar calls in the early December which cautioned that a CBI raid in my office is imminent. But it happened later”.

While addressing the public at the state-level Republic Day function at Chhatrasal Stadium on Monday, Kejriwal attacked the Centre over the recommendation, calling it a “murder of constitution”, and that too two days before the Republic Day.

“Today, we have gathered to celebrate Republic Day. Where is it written in the Constitution that if there are different governments in Centre and states, the Centre can suspend the state government?” he said.

The Union Cabinet on Sunday recommended imposition of President’s Rule in the hill state, which is going through a political turmoil.

Referring the Centre as ‘bada bhai’ (elder brother) and the states as younger brothers, Kejriwal appealed the Union government of cooperating with the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.

“Bade bhai ko chhote bhai ko tang nahi karna chahiye. The elder brother should support his younger brothers like Lord Ram did (The elder brother shouldn’t trouble the younger one). If the Centre supports us, we can do 10 times the kind of development we have done in Delhi till now,” the Chief Minister said.

He reiterated that the main reason behind his not taking any department when the government was formed is because he is fending off attacks from the Centre and standing like a “wall” between his ministers and the Union government.

He also lashed out at the Centre over the suicide by research scholar Rohith Vemula of the University of Hyderabad and said even after so many years since the Constitution was written, things like equality, liberty and justice mentioned in it are not being applied.

“Rohith and his friends had formed Ambedkar Students Union. How can someone who follows the path shown by Ambedkar be labelled as a ‘terrorist’?” he said.