New Delhi : Sounding the bugle for the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today targeted the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government over a range of issues, including alleged supply of dirty water, unauthorised colonies, transportation, pollution, and the party’s stance over the amended Citizenship Act and a proposed countrywide NRC. “The Delhi Government has kept its eyes closed on the biggest problem of the city, which is drinking water,” Modi said at the rally ahead of elections, which are an issue of prestige for the BJP engaged in a fierce triangular contest with the ruling AAP and Congress. Rejecting the claims of the AAP dispensation about clean drinking water being supplied to the people, Modi said the city recorded highest sale of water purifier in the country. “Are you getting clean, potable water,” he said, accusing the Kejriwal government of “lying on water quality and calling people of Delhi liars”. He also accused the Delhi Government of creating political hurdles in way of infrastructure projects such as Metro Phase-IV, the work on which would have otherwise “started long back”.
“Despite hurdles created by the Delhi Government, the BJP-led Centre has ensured that the Metro network grows at a rate of 25 km every year against 14 km before 2014,” he said.
BJP’s Delhi leaders, including Lok Sabha MPs Manoj Tewari and Meenakshi Lekhi and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel, sought to allay people’s apprehensions on the CAA, accusing the Opposition of “spreading misinformation and fomenting trouble”.
“The turnout at the rally was the proof of endorsement of people’s support,” they said.
“On one side is truth and on the other lies,” they claimed, while highlighting other steps taken by the Modi government, including removal of special status to J&K, Ram temple, ‘triple talaq’ at the “dhanyavad/abhaar’ rally aimed to showcase to Delhi the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019, that seeks to grant ownership rights to residents of Delhi’s unauthorised colonies and launch the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly.
Speakers, including Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Harshvardhan, slammed Kejriwal and his party for not doing sufficient to combat air pollution and other issues before the Capital.
Pushed by the Modi government and passed by Parliament earlier this month, the BJP believes the unauthorised colonies law will be the ultimate game-changer in Delhi, which has been out of its reach since late 1990s. It is expected to benefit 40 lakh people in the Capital living in unauthorised colonies.
PM Modi was presented 11 lakh signatures from residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies to thank him for this “historic decision and for proving their full trust in the BJP”.
Modi ended his speech with a promise from people to maintain cleanliness in Delhi. “We should welcome the new year with cleaner Delhi. We must stay away from violence, this country is ours, its people are ours,” he said. (Agencies)
