NEW DELHI, Mar 9 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the AAP government was pursuing a model of ‘vikas'(development) and charged that the BJP was following “Vinash (destruction) Ka Model” by stamping out the opposition parties and toppling their governments.
Speaking in the Delhi Assembly over the 2024-25 budget of the AAP government tabled in the House recently, Kejriwal said it was such a good budget that people are now saying the AAP-Congress combine will win all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
Citing eight summons issued to him, the AAP convener charged that the plan was prepared by the BJP to arrest him and topple his government by sending him to jail.
“If Lord Ram existed in this era, they (BJP) would send the ED and the CBI to his home too and asked him at gun point whether he wanted to go to the BJP or jail,” said the AAP convener in a no holds barred attack on the saffron party.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, in a statement condemned the chief minister’s remarks about Lord Ram. He urged Kejriwal to refrain from making such “trivializing comments” that reflected poorly on his own devotion and faith towards Lord Ram.
Kejriwal said that so many notices were issued to him by the probe agencies as if he were the biggest terrorist in the country and asserted that he will build eight new schools in response to the equal number of summons sent to him by the agency in the excise policy related case.
Kejriwal charged that as per the plan prepared to topple his government, the first thing to be done was to stop the free electricity scheme and then degrade the good schools, shut down Mohalla Clinics and hospitals in Delhi.
He asked the people to identify the “enemies of Delhi” and “punish” them, and ensure that they never returned.
Lauding the budget presented by Finance Minister Atishi in the Assembly on Monday, Kejriwal said every eligible woman in a family will receive Rs 1,000 each under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana announced in the budget.
He also remembered former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, presently in jail in an excise policy-related case.
“I hope the next year he will present the budget in the Assembly,” he said.
Kejriwal lashed out at the BJP, saying it came to power at the Centre with a massive mandate in May 2014 but pursued a model of ‘vinash’ by targeting the opposition parties using the ED and the CBI against them.
“We improved education and health services, provided free round the clock electricity supply, free water supply, sent elderly on free pilgrimages, helped children from poor families to dream of becoming doctors and engineers. This is the Aam Aadmi Party’s model of ‘vikas’,” he said.
Since forming the government in Delhi in 2015, the AAP government has been winning elections – Assembly polls 2020, MCD polls 2022- with huge mandate because of the good work done by it for the people, Kejriwal said.
“After tabling of this budget, public is now saying that we will have all the seven seats in Delhi,” he stated.
The AAP is contesting on four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi while the Congress remaining three, under a seat sharing agreement between the two parties.
Hitting out at the BJP, Kejriwal said that the party put forth a model of “vinash” after it came to power in the country in May 2014.
“This model involves eliminating opposition parties one by one, buying out MLAs breaking parties, making arrests and sending the opposition leaders to jail. The second part of this model is to stall the good works of the opposition governments in the country,” Kejriwal said.
“They say ‘Modi Nahi to Kaun’. Their formula is to send all the opposition leaders to jail. Who else except Modi when every one is sent to jail and no one is left,” he added.
The chief minister also alleged that the BJP was trying to eliminate the opposition so that it remained in power.
“They are eliminating democracy. Its treason,” he charged.
Kejriwal also alleged that the BJP wanted to crush the AAP because it was the fastest growing party capable of challenging them across the country.
“They have prepared the whole plan to send me to jail. A BJP leader told me the plan that after my arrest they will topple our government. The plan is to arrest Kejriwal and then destroy Delhi,” he claimed.
“Kejriwal se nafarat karni hai to sambhal kar karna dost, agar uske school aur asptal dekh liye to mohabbat ho jayegi Kejriwal se (Hate Kejriwal with care, you will fall in love with Kejriwal if you saw the schools and hospitals built by him,” the AAP supremo said highlighting the works of his government.
The other parties issue manifesto for the polls but the AAP offers “Kejriwal ki guarantees”, said the chief minister and took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Jab bajne lagi khatre ki ghantiyan, to Modi ji ko yaad aayin Kejriwal ki guarantiyan (when alarm bells began ringing, Modi ji remembered Kejriwal’s guarantees),” he said in an apparent reference to the BJP’s “Modi Ki Guarantee” slogan in the election year.
The chief minister asserted his “love and affection” for the people of Delhi and said the relationship might have a connection of his past births.
“Ye Rishta Kya Kahlata Hai (what is this relationship) I wonder. It must be a connection of past births. I was just an ordinary man whom Delhi people showed trust and love and gave such a big post,” he stated.
Kejriwal alleged that the BJP was opposing the proposed scheme of his government to provide Rs 1,000 per month to the women of Delhi, at which the Leader of Opposition objected and asked him to show even one statement to support his charge.
The House passed the budget 2024-25 following the address by the chief minister.
The House proceedings were adjourned by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel till 11 am on March 15, after consideration and passing of the Demands for Grants for 2024-25, and Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2024, presented in the Assembly by Finance Minister Atishi. (PTI)
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