Delhi CM Kejriwal denied political clearance for C40 Summit in Denmark

In a setback to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Ministry of External Affairs, on Tuesday, has denied 'political clearance' to Kejriwal to attend the C40 Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. The reasons for the denial are unknown as of yet. Kejriwal was set to attend the event lasting from October 9 to 12. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief was scheduled to leave for the summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, at 2 pm on Tuesday, according to PTI.

READ | Delhi CM Kejriwal launches new scheme to honour good samaritans

Kejriwal's clearance pending

According to reports, Kejriwal had sought permission from the MEA, as per standard protocol. The Chief Minister was set to lead an eight-member delegation for the summit. He was also scheduled to participate in a session on carbon emission and give the keynote address. Government sources have reported to PTI, that MEA has given clearance to West Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim on Monday to attend the summit.

READ | CM Kejriwal in credit tug-of-war over Delhi anti-pollution measures

Kejriwal's role at C40 Summit 

Earlier on September 22, the Centre had stated that Kejriwal was expected to speak at the Summit on his government's experience in lowering air pollution in the city. He was scheduled to present the set of initiatives taken by the AAP dispensation that led to the 25 percent reduction in air pollution.  Apart from the carbon emission event, the Chief Minister was scheduled to speak at an event titled-  ‘Asian Mayors and City Leaders Meeting on Low Carbon Inclusive Growth’. On Monday, the Delhi government had expressed doubts about Kejriwal's attendance at the event as he was yet to receive clearance from the MEA.

READ | Delhi polls: BJP to counter Kejriwal with Hasina govt's remark on NRC

What is the C40 Climate Summit 2019?

According to its official site, the C40 Cities community connects 94 of the world’s greatest cities to take bold climate action, leading the way towards a healthier and more sustainable future. The cities' Mayors have pledged their commitment to constrain global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius as per the Paris Agreement, at a local level. mong the members are cities such as New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles, and Berlin. The cities involved in the C40 community contribute to 2.4 Giga Tonne of Carbon dioxide.  

READ | CM Kejriwal in credit tug-of-war over Delhi anti-pollution measures