NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Modi launched a scathing attack on the AAP on Friday, calling it “AAPda” (disaster in Hindi), virtually setting the tone for an aggressive and sharp campaign for the assembly elections to be held in the capital in February.
Speaking at an event in Ashok Vihar while inaugurating various development initiatives, the Prime Minister gave the slogan “AAPda ko nahi sahenge, badal ke rahenge (We will not tolerate disaster, we will change things).” He repeated the slogan several times and the crowd joined him amidst loud cheers. Accusing the AAP of holding back the development of Delhi, the chief minister said voters have now decided to get rid of the party.
“This is the capital of the country and people have the right to have good governance. But for the last 10 years, Delhi has been under the control of a big AAPda,” he said.
“By putting Anna Hazareji at the helm, some kattar beimaan pushed Delhi towards aapda,” he added.
This was an indirect jibe at AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who in the past called himself “kattar imaandar (unconditionally honest).” AAP officials, including Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, face corruption charges in the excise policy case.
Modi accused the AAP of engaging in corruption in liquor policy, schools, treatment of the poor, fight against pollution and employment. “These people were talking about the development of Delhi but now they have become an ‘aapda’ in Delhi,” he said. He accused them of engaging in open corruption and then glorifying it.
This was Modi’s first political speech before the state elections when, again without naming names, he targeted Kejriwal over the renovation of the CM’s residence at 6 Flag Staff Road in Civil Lines. He said he could have also built a ‘sheesh mahal’ for himself, but his dream was to ensure homes for everyone in the country.
“The country knows very well that Modi never built a house for himself, but in the last 10 years I fulfilled the dreams of more than four million poor families by providing them with houses,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the AAP government, the chief minister said that in areas where he cannot intervene, work gets done. “In the DDA, there is not much intervention by the AAPda, which is why it can give so many houses to the poor and the middle class by supplying gas through pipelines,” he said. He said that the construction of roads and highways in Delhi is progressing because there is no involvement of the AAP government in these projects.
He also targeted the AAP for non-implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi. Modi said that since the city government did not allow the Centre’s signature health insurance scheme and other programs to be implemented in the capital, it could not fully help the people living here despite efforts.
In a bid to counter the AAP’s free electricity scheme, the chief minister said the central government is reducing electricity bill to zero under Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojna. Under this scheme, people even earn money. “The BJP government is giving Rs 78,000 to a family to install solar panels,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the central government is providing free ration to nearly 75 lakh needy people in Delhi.