New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a scathing attack on AAP, calling it an "aapda" (disaster) that has gripped Delhi for the past 10 years, prompting its chief Arvind Kejriwal to return the barb by claiming that the BJP is facing the real "aapda" as it "lacks" a CM face and issues for the assembly polls.
Taking a jibe at Kejriwal after inaugurating several key development projects for Delhi at an event here, the prime minister said he could have also built a "Sheesh Mahal" for himself, but chose to prioritise the people by constructing houses for them.
The BJP has been targeting Kejriwal for allegedly spending extravagantly on his official residence when he was chief minister, describing his erstwhile home as "sheesh mahal". Hitting back at Prime Minister Modi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said that the BJP is faced with "aapda" in the national capital as the saffron party has "no CM face, narrative or issues" for the Delhi Assembly elections due next month.
Responding to PM's "Sheesh Mahal" remark against him, the former Delhi chief minister said, "The talk of Sheesh Mahal does not behove a person who built Rs 2,700- crore house for himself, travelling in a Rs 8400-crore plane and wearing a Rs 10-lakh suit." Kejriwal asserted that Delhi is facing "aapda" of "breakdown" in law and order and people are demanding safety and security.
On Friday, Modi inaugurated several development projects, including 1,675 flats for residents of JJ clusters and the World Trade Centre, in Delhi, just days before the announcement of the assembly election schedule. Slamming the AAP government, he said the situation in the national capital would worsen if its reign continued.
On the one hand the Centre is making a lot of efforts, on the other the Union Territory government stands for brazen lies, Modi said, accusing the AAP government of committing corruption in various sectors ranging from school education to fighting pollution and the liquor trade. With assembly elections due in the city next month, the prime minister said Delhi had launched a war on this "aapda (disaster)" and decided to get rid of it.
Giving a call for AAP's defeat, Modi raised the slogan, "Aapda ko nahi sahenge, badal kar rahenge (we will not tolerate 'aapda', we will remove it)." "The situation is such that even half of the funds allocated under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan were not spent on the children's education by the state government. The past 10 years have been marked by corruption and scams in various sectors such as liquor contracts, school education, healthcare for the poor, pollution control, and recruitment," Modi charged.
He said some "hardcore corrupt individuals, using social activist Anna Hazare as a front, have pushed Delhi into this crisis". Modi said the city has always envisioned good governance but the AAP government has failed to deliver on its promises and has only worsened the situation. As a result, the people of Delhi are determined to fight against this crisis, vowing to bring change and rid the city of this corruption.
Taking a swipe at Kejriwal, Modi said he could also have built a "sheesh mahal" for himself but his dream was to ensure homes for everyone in the country. "These people commit corruption and then glorify it," he said, accusing AAP of shamelessness and making false promises. Soon after the PM's accusation, the AAP chief held a press conference and said he did not want to go into a blame game as he never engages in "abusive politics and personal attacks".
In his 43-minute long speech, Modi "only abused Delhi people and the elected government having their huge mandate but could not mention anything done by BJP led Centre for the city", he said. "I want to request Modi ji to ask Amit Shah ji (Union Home minister) to pay attention to resolving law and order issues instead of breaking parties and poaching opposition leaders," Kejriwal charged.
Further, the AAP supremo took a dig at the BJP saying the party was facing "Aapda" (disaster) as it lacked a CM face, narrative and issues for the Assembly elections. The works done by Kejriwal appear as a "disaster" to the BJP but it's like a blessing for the people of Delhi, the AAP national convener asserted.
Accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi in the press conference, Kejriwal spoke on the initiatives taken by the AAP government in Delhi. "We have a government that works for the people rather than laying foundation stones at the time of elections," he said in a jibe at Modi for inaugurating the projects.
The BJP doubled down against Kejriwal-led party policies, saying it has become the "biggest burden and liability" on the people of Delhi. The AAP is nothing more than a "newer version of the Congress", senior BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar charged at a press conference here at the party headquarters.
"They promised a corruption-free government... simple political leadership, (which) would not use a house (government bungalow), cars, wouldn't align with the Congress or indulge in corrupt politics, has done exactly 180 degrees reversal of every one of its position," Chandrasekhar said.
