Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Delhi can get statehood only if there is a Central government with a big heart, said reports.
"The Centre should show a big heart and view this issue from a larger perspective and give full statehood to Delhi," PTI quoted Kejriwal as saying.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief also suggested that if the NDA government does not agree with full statehood, then it should divide the area of jurisdiction between the New Delhi region and the rest among the two governments.
He said the Centre should hand over the areas under Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs), its land and police rights to Delhi government and keep those under New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), its land and police rights with itself.
Kejriwal added that "even the British has not looted Delhi the way the Centre has," pointing out that Delhi citizens pay Rs 1.30 lakh crore as income tax, but receive just Rs 350 crore in return.
He said that though all parties promise full statehood for Delhi in their election manifestos, they change their mind after taking over the government.
"People often joke that you are the one-fourth Chief Minister of a half state," Kejriwal said. "In 1993 when BJP came to power, Congress was at the Centre. After Congress came to power in Delhi, the BJP was at the Centre. Then for 10 years, the Congress was in power both at the Centre and Delhi. At any point of time the Centre did not lose its control over Delhi."
