The postponement of a hunger strike by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the issue of sealing of commercial establishments by civic bodies has drawn the ire of traders’ association.
The association stated that the manner and nature in which the hunger strike was postponed gave them a reason to believe that the CM’s declaration was politically motivated in order to gain sympathy of traders rather than his intention of seriously dealing with the issue concerning livelihoods of lakhs of traders and their employees in the Capital.
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Secretary general of Confederation of All India Traders Praveen Khandelwal took note that “while postponing the hunger strike neither Kejriwal took the trading community in confidence nor he communicated directly with the traders of Amar Colony who had made elaborate arrangements for his protest. It has caused great disappointment among traders across Delhi.”
He ridiculed that AAP spokesperson, while announcing the decision of the Chief Minister to postpone the hunger strike cited two reasons: first, an appeal by some trade associations that Kejriwal should not observe hunger strike and the second was pendency of the matter in court.
“In this context, we have enquired from some prominent trade associations of Delhi but no one claimed to have made an appeal for postponement of fast. Will you (AAP) kindly spell out the names of such Association? Moreover, if any Association has approached you for postponement, propriety demands that you would have at least contacted traders of Amar Colony where you made the declaration and must have sought their opinion,” Khandelwal remarked.
He also said that the concerned case has been pending in court for a long time and even the day the CM made the declaration the case was pending in court and it was in his knowledge. Suddenly, how it become important all of a sudden when he had to begin his fast. “This seems to be mysterious,” Khandelwal observed.