AAP to gherao Congress, BJP offices: Gopal Rai

New Delhi: Taking its demand for full statehood to Delhi to the next level in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling AAP will stage a two-day gherao (prevent (someone) from leaving a place of work until certain demands are met) at the offices of the BJP and the Congress from March 10 to press them to make their stand clear on the issue.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will also deploy 20 ‘mini prachar rath’ (campaign vehicles) each in all seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital, a move aimed at informing voters how the BJP and the Congress “misled” them on this issue. 

Talking to reporters here, AAP’s Delhi convener Gopal Rai said he on February 25 had written to Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and state Congress president Sheila Dikshit, seeking clarity on their stand on the issue. 

“We have not got any reply to our letters from the Congress and the BJP so far. If the AAP does not get an answer till Saturday, we will gherao the Delhi BJP office on March 10 and the state Congress office on March 11,” Rai said. 

In the past, leaders of the BJP and the Congress have supported the demand for full statehood to the national capital, but the parties are now silent on it, the AAP leader said. 

Giving details about the party's ‘mini prachar rath’, he said that e-rickshaws will be used for this purpose, which will play recorded audio and video speeches of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on how both the parties (Congress and BJP) have “deceived” the people of Delhi on the issue. 

Rai, a Cabinet Minister in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, accused the BJP-led central government of “misleading” the people of Delhi on the issue of unauthorised colonies for five years. 

“Formation of the committee is just an eyewash. BJP leaders and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri should apologise to Delhiites,” he said.