Delhi not property of individual or party to decide statehood issue: Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said the national capital is not the property of any individual or party and the people of Delhi would decide if it is granted full statehood, as he raised the pitch for one of his party's key demands.

Claiming that people of Delhi have been exploited and cheated for the past 70 years, Kejriwal said city BJP president Manoj Tiwari says the national capital cannot be given full statehood as its chief minister protested in front of the Rail Bhawan.

"Tiwari says Delhi cannot be granted statehood as I had sat on a dharna. Tumhare baap ki Dilli hai (Is Delhi your family property?) Who are you?" Kejriwal said referring to Tiwari.

"I want to ask Manoj Tiwari and the BJP that when Mamata Banerjee protested in West Bengal was West Bengal made half state, when Narendra Modi protested in Gujarat over the Narmada issue, was Gujarat was made a half state, when Chandrababu Naidu protested to give Andhra Pradesh special status was it made a half state.