Delhi CM Attending Denmark Event Does Not Commensurate with Level of Participation from Other Countries: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was advised not to attend the C40 World Mayors' Summit in Denmark as his visit there as a speaker at a panel discussion does not commensurate with the level of participation from other countries.
New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was advised not to attend the C40 World Mayors' Summit in Denmark as his visit there as a speaker at a panel discussion does not commensurate with the level of participation from other countries.
Kejriwal was to leave on Tuesday for the C-40 Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, but could not do so.
The Ministry of External Affairs examined the request and "clearance from political angle" has been declined, Delhi government sources said.
In response to media queries regarding political clearance for Kejriwal, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "A considered decision on political clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs is based on multiple inputs and takes into account the nature of the event, the level of participation by other countries, type of invitation extended, etc."
"In the instant case, the participation of Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi as a speaker at a panel discussion was not commensurate with the level of participation from other countries," Kumar said.
The chief minister of one of the largest and populous cities in the world, which also is the capital of India, was therefore advised not to attend the event, he said.
Earlier in the day, the central government also defended its decision to deny permission to Kejriwal to attend a climate summit in Denmark, saying it is meant for "mayor-level" participants.
However, the AAP termed it a "very lame excuse" and an insult to the people of Delhi.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said it was a "mayor-level conference" and a West Bengal minister is going to attend it.
Central government sources later said a separate protocol is followed for chief ministers and rejected suggestions that opposition parties were being targeted.
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