Amid tussle, LG invites Kejriwal for meeting

New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has invited Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his ministers and 10 AAP MLAs for a meeting with him at the Raj Niwas here Friday evening, amid the ongoing tussle between the elected government and the LG office.

The chief minister has been asked to come to the meeting along with his Cabinet colleagues and any 10 MLAs of his Aam Aadmi Party at 4 pm, Raj Niwas officials said on Thursday.

The two sides have been at loggerheads over multiple issues including a Delhi government proposal to send its teachers for training in Finland. On January 16, Kejriwal and his party MLAs had marched from the Vidhan Sabha to Raj Niwas to meet Saxena over the teachers' training proposal.

The chief minister returned after waiting for nearly an hour, claiming the LG refused to meet him, his deputy Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAs. Saxena denied the charge in a letter he wrote to Kejriwal days later, saying the chief minister insisted for a meeting which would be attended by all his MLAs, and that it was not possible at a short notice. Kejriwal, replying to the LG letter, had suggested a fresh proposal for A meeting between the two sides.

However, AAP leaders had later claimed that Saxena refused to meet the Chief Minister and AAP MLAs. A scene of bonhomie was, however, witnessed as Kejriwal attended the 'at home' function ahead of Republic Day hosted by the LG at Raj Niwas on Tuesday. The two were seen warmly greeting each another during the function that was also attended by politicians from BJP and other parties.