Kejriwal continues sit-in protest
New Delhi, June 16 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his three Cabinet colleagues continued their sit-in protest at the Lt Governor's (LG) office on Saturday while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers are preparing for a mass agitation on Sunday.
A number of party MLAs and workers are preparing for the protest on Sunday at the Prime Minister's residence if their demands were not met.
Kejriwal, along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Cabinet ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai, has been camping in the Raj Niwas -- the official accommodation-cum-office of Lt Governor (LG) -- since Monday evening.
They have demanded of a direction to the IAS officers working in the Delhi administration to end their undeclared strike, action against officers who have struck work for "four months" and approval to his government's proposal for doorstep delivery of ration to the poor.
The blood sugar level of Jain and Sisodia, who have been on an indefinite hunger, is constantly going down, according to doctors.
The party has also planned for a door-to-door campaign starting from June 18 to collect signatures of at least 10 lakh families, which they will forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he has not responded to the demands yet.
Kejriwal's protest has garnered support from West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, actors-turned-politicians Kamal Hassan and Shatrughan Sinha.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) are also supporting the sit-in.
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Sambhal violence: Protesters to pay for damage to property, posters of 'stone pelters' to be put up
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government will make protesters involved in the Sambhal violence pay for damage to public property while posters of "stone pelters" will be displayed at public places, an official said on Wednesday.
Four people died and scores, including police personnel, were injured in Sambhal on Sunday after a confrontation erupted over a court-ordered survey of the city's Shahi Jama Masjid in Kot Garvi area, following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.
"The UP government is adopting a firm stance against the individuals involved in the Sambhal violence. Posters of the stone pelters and miscreants will be displayed publicly, and recovery of damages will be sought. A reward may also be announced for information leading to their arrest," an official spokesperson said.
In a similar initiative, the government had previously put up posters of individuals linked to vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in 2020. These posters were displayed across several locations, including the state capital, but were later removed following a court order.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on Sunday when a large crowd gathered near a mosque and began chanting slogans as a survey team resumed its work. The situation escalated when the protesters clashed with security personnel, set vehicles on fire, and pelted stones.
So far, police have arrested 25 individuals and registered seven FIRs, which include charges against Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Sohail Iqbal, son of the party's local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, and over 2,750 unidentified suspects.
A magisterial probe is underway, and Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi stated on Monday that the situation was now under control. He assured that "strict action will be taken against those responsible for the unrest."
