Arvind Kejriwal has decided to go on a 10-day leave after conducting a sit-in protest for nine days.
On June 11, Arvind Kejriwal, his Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and his ministers Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain had gone to meet the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal. They later sat on a dharna inside the L-G’s office, demanding Anil Baijal to intervene and order IAS officers to end their strike.
Two days later, BJP leaders Vijendra Gupta and MS Sirsa began a counter-protest in the waiting room of the Chief Minister’s office. They were demanding the CM to end his strike and start working again. On June 16, CMs of West Bengal, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka requested the L-G to allow IAS officers to meet Kejriwal but the permission was not granted.
IAS officers addressed the media the next day. They said that they were not on strike and that they were just feeling unsafe. AAP workers marched towards the PM’s residence and asked him to end the problem in Delhi in the Niti Aayog meeting. On June 19, Anil Baijal finally directed Arvind Kejriwal to meet officers. Bureaucrats finally attended meetings with ministers. Kejriwal and Gopal Rai finally called off their protests. BJP leaders also ended their protests at the Chief Minister’s office.
The meeting of the bureaucrats with the Chief Minister was the only condition on which the impasse ended. Kejriwal, however, demanded that Baijal convene the meeting.
Arvind Kejriwal has finally ended his nine-day protest. He also said that he had nothing against IAS officers – that 99% of bureaucrats were good people and they have worked together in Delhi. They were just a front for interference by the Central government and the L-G.