Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia began an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday at the office of Lt Governor Anil Baijal in New Delhi as the sit-in protest by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his three Cabinet colleagues — Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai — entered the third day.

The leaders of Aam Aadmi Party have already spent two nights at the L-G office.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Satyendar Jain started his hunger strike to press for their demands. Kejriwal has asserted that he and his colleagues would not leave Baijal’s office until their demands were met.

The AAP government’s demands to the L-G include direction to IAS officers to end their “strike”, action against those who have been on this “strike for four months”. It has also asked the L-G to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of rations.

In a tweet on Wednesday, the Delhi CM sought to know if it was “possible for IAS officers to return to work without green signal from PMO (Prime Minister’s Office)?”

“Aren’t IAS officers merely tools being used by Modi govt to scuttle good work being done by Del govt?”

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal announced on Twitter that Sisodia too had joined Jain on an indefinite hunger strike at the L-G office. Manish Sisodia also made the announcement on his Twitter handle.

“Today, I am also sitting on an indefinite hunger strike to ensure that Delhiites get their right and also get their pending works cleared. Satyendar Jain’s hunger strike is continuing since yesterday…” Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.

Yesterday, Kejriwal released a video from the L-G office and said AAP ministers had “no option” but to stage a sit-in at L-G’s office as Lt Governor Anil Baijal was not paying heed to the Delhi government’s demands “despite several requests”.

“Modi and LG are not allowing us to work for the betterment. LG is orchestrating the strike by the IAS officers,” AAP leader Sanjay Singh had said on Tuesday.

According to the AAP government, officers have not been attending meetings with the ministers and not picking up their calls due to which government work for people was suffering.

In the video message, Kejriwal had said he and his ministers had been requesting the L-G since February 23 to issue directions to the IAS officers to end their “strike”, but the Lt Governor was not paying heed to their demands.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal alleged that some officers had informed him that the L-G’s office was “orchestrating” the “officers’ strike” and that’s why the L-G did not want bureaucrats to end their strike.

(With agency inputs)