PUDUCHERRY: Delhi chief minister Arvind

on Monday said time has come for Delhi and

to join hands and fight together both politically and legally for

status for the two Union territories.

Kejriwal was here along with his deputy Manish Sisodia to express solidarity to the ongoing stir by the Puducherry chief minister

against lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi.

Speaking to reporters, Kejriwal said the only solution to put an end to the issues faced by the elected governments in Delhi and Puducherry was obtaining full statehood status for the two Union territories. He said the Indian Constitution implemented on January 26, 1950, ensures a democratic setup in the country.

“Everywhere people elect the government. The elected government has full powers to fulfil the aspirations and demands of the people, provide them safety and security and undertake various development work. But in these two places (Delhi and Puducherry) even though people elect the governments, the governments are completely handicapped. They have absolutely no power. They can’t do their day-to-day functions. This is complete injustice to the people of Delhi and Puducherry. We have been raising this issue in Delhi. Now, it is time for Puducherry to join hands with Delhi and fight together both politically and in court,” he said.

He questioned whether the value of the votes of people in Delhi and Puducherry is less than that of people in the rest of the country. “Aren’t we patriotic? Do we not pay the taxes?” he questioned.

He said lieutenant governors in Delhi and Puducherry had been specifically appointed with specific instructions by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not allowing the elected governments in the two Union territories to function.

He said the most fundamental part of the Indian Constitution was democracy. “It is the will of the people. People vote and form the government. And the government will be accountable to the people. Here, the chief minister is accountable to the people of Puducherry. Who is Mrs Kiran Bedi accountable to? She is accountable to none. She might be accountable informally to Prime Minister,” Kejriwal said.

He regretted that Bedi, who faced a humiliating defeat in Delhi assembly polls, is administering Puducherry. “Today we have a situation wherein a person who was defeated by the people in Delhi is ruling the people in Puducherry and the representatives elected by the people are sitting in a dharna in front of her residence. This is not democracy. It is like killing the Constitution,” he said.

“If Mrs Kiran Bedi (Puducherry lieutenant governor) stops interfering with the elected government, she will be removed within two minutes. It is specific mandate. We strongly condemn this attitude. The only solution to this is that full statehood should be granted to Delhi and Puducherry,” he said.

When asked whether their meeting can be taken as a prelude for an alliance in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, Kejriwal said he was here not as an AAP leader but as a Delhi chief minister to meet Puducherry chief minister and express solidarity to the ongoing stir.

"I am not here as an AAP leader. I am not here to support a Congress leader. I am here as the Delhi chief minister supporting the Puducherry chief minister. Today the Congress is in power here. Tomorrow another party might come to power. Similarly, today AAP is in power in Delhi and tomorrow some other party will come to power. It is not about parties. It is about rights of the people. It is about democracy,” he said.