Kejriwal: No CM face or agenda, it’s Delhi BJP that’s facing disaster

NEW DELHI: Responding sharply to PM Narendra Modi's "aapda" (disaster) and "sheesh mahal" jibes, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that BJP was faced with disaster in Delhi as it neither had a chief minister face, nor an agenda or a narrative for the upcoming assembly polls in the capital.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal also hit back at Modi for saying that instead of building a "sheesh mahal" for himself, he worked to fulfil the dream of four crore people in the country to have a pucca house. "The talk of Sheesh Mahal does not behove a person who built a Rs 2,700 crore house for himself, travelling in a Rs 8,400 crore plane and wearing a Rs 10 lakh suit," he said.

The former Delhi CM, however, added that he did not want to go into a blame game as he "never engaged in abusive politics and personal attacks".

BJP has alleged over-expenditure on the renovation of the chief minister's residence at 6, Flagstaff Road and installation of expensive household amenities, dubbing it as "sheesh mahal".

Kejriwal said that Modi, in his 43-minute speech, only "abused" the people of Delhi and the elected dispensation having their huge mandate but "did not mention anything done by BJP-led central govt for the city". He asserted that Delhi was facing "aapda" due to a "breakdown" in law and order. The AAP convener said people were demanding safety and security but "Modi-Shah was not listening to it".

"I want to request Modi ji to ask (Union home minister) Amit Shah ji to pay attention to resolving law and order issues instead of breaking parties and poaching opposition leaders," Kejriwal charged.

Taking a swipe at Modi handing over 1,675 flats to slum dwellers in Ashok Vihar, Kejriwal said that BJP in its manifesto for the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls promised to provide pucca houses to the economically weaker section. "In five years, they have only built 4,700 houses. There is a need for 15 lakh EWS houses in the city, and with the speed with which BJP is working, they will fulfil their promise in 200 years," he added.

The former Delhi CM also accused BJP of being an enemy of the poor, claiming the party caused the demolition of 2,700 slums and rendered over two lakh people homeless. "If BJP came to power, they will demolish all the slums in Delhi," he alleged.

In his press conference, Kejriwal also listed the works done by AAP govt in Delhi and sought to compare it with the work of BJP-led central govt.

"We have a govt that works for the people rather than laying foundation stones at the time of elections…PM Modi came after 10 years only to lay the foundation stone for three educational institutions, while AAP govt in the same period constructed 22,000 classrooms, three new universities, six new university campuses, and 11 vocational colleges," Kejriwal claimed.

The AAP chief also slammed BJP for allegedly betraying Puravnachalis settled in Delhi's unplanned colonies. "(Union housing minister) Hardeep Puri promised that before 2019, they would grant ownership rights to 40 lakh people living in unplanned colonies in Delhi. So far, only 25,000 people have been given property ownership rights," Kejriwal said.