Brexit inspires Kejriwal, says time now for referendum on Delhi statehood

New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been inspired by the historic mandate under in the United Kingdom (UK) with regard to opting out of the European Union (EU).

Hours after the European Union referendum results were declared on Friday afternoon, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo said a similar referendum will be conducted in the Delhi to assess the people’s mood for granting complete statehood for Delhi.

“After UK referendum, delhi will soon have a referendum on full statehood,” he tweeted.

Earlier in the day, AAP leader Ashish Khetan took to Twitter and said, “After the UK referendum on EU exit, it’s time to have a referendum on full statehood of Delhi. In a democracy the will of the people is supreme.”

Last month, Kejriwal made public a draft bill on Delhi’s statehood which did not include certain areas, forcing the BJP to state that only Parliament was empowered to prepare and pass the law in the matter as per the Constitution.

The AAP-led Delhi Government has been demanding full statehood status for the national capital since long and it has locked horns with the NDA-led BJP regime at the Centre and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on the media.

While statehood for Delhi was part of the AAP’s manifesto, the BJP which had been raising the issue for years, kept mum on it ahead of the February 2015 state elections. (ANI)