Delhi officials turn down offer for talks from AAP , demand action against CM, deputy CM

Delhi bureaucrats on Monday turned down an invitation of dialogue by the AAP government to resolve the stalemate triggered by an alleged assault on the Chief Secretary and demanded action against the Chief Minister and his deputy, saying the attack took place in their presence.

The Joint Forum of the Delhi Government Employees made it clear that they will settle down for nothing short of a "written and public" apology by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The officials have been at loggerheads with the government ever since some AAP MLAs allegedly assaulted Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in a midnight meeting at CM's residence on Monday.

The Delhi government



had deputed minister Rajendra Pal Gautam to initiate a dialogue with the protesting officials and break the week-long standoff.

"The joint forum demands that the prerequisite to any dialogue with the political executive is a specific written and public apology from the CM and deputy CM. Communication between the political and permanent executive can only continue through formal written means and no talks are possible," said Pooja Joshi, one of the members of the forum, an umbrella body of various employee associations of the Delhi government.

Joshi also said that the government officials will continue boycotting meetings of Kejriwal and his cabinet of ministers.