Delhi sealing drive: CM Arvind Kejriwal calls for all-party meeting on March 13

Kejriwal has called for an "all-party meeting" at his residence to find solutions to the problems being faced by traders due to the sealing drive.

Delhi chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal (File | PTI)

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for an "all-party meeting" at his residence on Tuesday to find solutions to the problems being faced by traders due to the sealing drive in the national capital.

The chief minister today wrote letters to Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and Congress leader Ajay Maken, in which he said, "We should rise above politics and come together to find a solution to the problems that have risen due to sealing".

He also suggested that not more than three people from each party should be at the meeting so that it can be held smoothly.

In January, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta had alleged that AAP leaders and workers "misbehaved" with members of a BJP delegation at Kejriwal's residence when they had gone there to discuss about relief to traders hit by the sealing drive.

A case was registered in the matter and some AAP MLAs were booked.

Yesterday, Maken had written to Kejriwal, offering to share with the chief minister what he felt could be a solution to stop the ongoing sealing drive.

In his letter, the Delhi Congress president had claimed that according to the amended master plan and the National Capital Territory of Delh Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011, no sealing can be carried out in Delhi.

"Being a former Union urban development minister, I can say with confidence that to save Delhi from sealing, many amendments had already been made in the Master Plan 2021," he had said in the letter.

Kejriwal, in his letter said Maken, being a former union urban development minister, would be able to offer "good and practical" solution to the sealing issue.

The Delhi chief minister had yesterday written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi seeking appointments with them to discuss the sealing issue and stressed on the need for bringing a Bill in Parliament to stop the drive.

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 for non-payment of conversion charges and violation of Delhi Master Plan.