Statehood status for Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal wants Greece-style referendum

New Delhi, July 6: While taking a cue from Greece, that is going through Eurozone crisis, Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday called for conducting "Greece-style referendum", demanding full statehood status for the national capital, Delhi.

In a cabinet meeting last week, Kejriwal stressed that the priority of the urban development department of the Delhi government should be on statehood.

AAP leader Ashish Khaitan on Monday, July 6 told reporters, "Referendum for statehood is necessary."

"Kejriwal also asked Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra to look into the legal aspects of the issue. At the cabinet meeting, he also asked for a bill on the statehood to be drafted", an official said.

In February, soon, after storming back to power in Delhi, Kejriwal had met PM Narendra Modi to discuss various issues including statehood of Delhi. [Delhi Statehood: Jugular vein for Arvind Kejriwal? All you need to know about the issue]

The issue of 'full statehood for Delhi' was one of the burning topics, on which political parties wooed Delhi voters. [Why BJP must avoid shadow boxing and cooperate with AAP on Delhi statehood issue]

In the campaign for Lok Sabha polls last year, BJP too had promised to declare Delhi a full state if the party came to power, noting that it will help ensure proper coordination between various agencies.

However,the BJP-led NDA government at Centre, hasn't yet opened its card over granting full statehood to the national capital. [Delhi: Good as a union territory or better as a state?]

Constitutionally, Delhi is a quasi-state with the Lieutenant Governor (LG) as the state head. The LG also has control over law and order and land in the National Capital Territory (NCT). [Sheila Dikshit failed to get full statehood for Delhi: Harshvardhan]

In the past, there have been demands from the Aam Aadmi Party for statehood for Delhi but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre has remained unmoved. [Arvind Kejriwal demands full statehood for Delhi]

OneIndia News