Arvind Kejriwal faces heat as Delhi L-G Saxena rejects his proposal for Singapore visit

Days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the Centre over the delay in granting him permission to visit Singapore to partake in a global summit, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has rejected the AAP government's proposal for the CM's visit. L-G Saxena asked the Delhi CM to not attend the World Cities Summit scheduled to be held in Singapore next month citing that since it is a conference of mayors, it won't be fitting for a Chief Minister to attend it. It is pertinent to note that on July 17, Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking permission to attend the 'World Cities Summit' in Singapore.

Earlier on July 18, Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that there might be a "political reason" behind the delay in granting him permission to visit Singapore for the global summit. Speaking over the pending clearance from the Centre, the Delhi CM asserted that he is not a criminal but an elected Chief Minister in the country. "This visit would be nothing but will bring glory to the country," he added.

Kejriwal irked by Centre's pending clearance on Singapore visit

while addressing a press conference in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal said, "It's not like I'm a criminal. I'm an elected CM in the country. It's beyond my understanding why I'm being prohibited from visiting World Cities Summit, Singapore. I think this visit would only bring more glory to India."

The AAP supremo further added that it will be a matter of pride for India as the world is inspired by the health and education model of Delhi. The country will feel proud when the model of Delhi's schools, hospitals, mohalla clinics, free electricity, and others will be presented on a global platform.

The World Cities Summit is a forum for leaders and industry experts to address the challenges of a livable and sustainable city and to deliberate on integrated urban solutions. This year, the summit is being held between July 31 and August 3. In June, Kejriwal informed that he had accepted the invitation of the Singapore high commissioner, Simon Wong, to attend the summit.