Arvind Kejriwal writes to PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, seeks time to discuss Delhi sealing drive

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi asking for a law to be made against the sealing drive that has been going on in the national capital.

Seeking time to meet PM Modi, Kejriwal said that a Bill should be brought in Parliament immediately to stop the sealing drive. "The reason behind sealing is anomalies in the law. It is the responsibility of the Central government to remove these anomalies. However, the government did not do anything in time and the shopkeepers are paying the price for it," the Chief Minister wrote.

#Delhi #Sealing issue: CM #ArvindKejriwal writes to PM #NarendraModi and Congress President #RahulGandhi asking for a law to be made on the issue, also seeks meeting time from the two leaders pic.twitter.com/NM0DV7uvrE — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2018

He also warned the PM that since people are being rendered unemployed, the crime in the capital may go up. "The traders are on the verge of starvation and each shop is means of livelihood for many people. If all of them are rendered unemployed (due to sealing) then it may impact law and order situation," he said.

In his letter to Rahul Gandhi, the Chief Minister focussed on how the sealing of commercial establishments is driving lakhs of people unemployed. "Traders earn their livelihood honestly and pay tax. But, they are suffering due to sealing. There is only one solution now. A Bill has to be brought in Parliament to remove anomalies in the law and save traders from unemployment," he said.

Reaching out to Rahul, he said that parties should rise above politics to find a solution to the problem. "This issue needs to be strongly raised in Parliament and pressure should be exerted on the Centre to bring a Bill over it," Kejriwal wrote to the Congress president.

Kejriwal had on Friday threatened to go on hunger strike if the sealing drive is not stopped by March 31. The sealing drive was undertaken by the municipal corporations of the national capital on the directions of a Supreme Court-appointed committee in December last year. Under the drive, hundreds of commercial establishments have been sealed so far due to non-payment of conversion charges and violations of Delhi Master Plan.