AAP hits out at Centre as Delhi, Punjab left out of R-Day parade

New Delhi, December 28

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today hit out at the Central Government over its rejection of Delhi and Punjab’s tableaus for the Republic Day celebrations.

AAP accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in “dirty politics” by denying Delhi and Punjab the opportunity to display their tableaus during the parade on the Kartavya Path in New Delhi.

The national capital and the neighbouring state last participated in the Republic Day parade in 2021, where Delhi showcased the redevelopment of the Shahjahanabad area.

AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, “The Delhi Government wanted to showcase its globally renowned education and health model in the parade, but unfortunately, like last year, the Modi government did not grant it permission this time either.”

She also noted that BJP-ruled states, such as Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, are always given the opportunity to display their tableaus in the Republic Day parade.

The Delhi model has the lowest inflation and the highest per capita income in the country, Kakkar stressed.

“In this model, 200 units of electricity are free in Delhi, and above that, electricity is available at the lowest rates in the country. Under this model in Delhi, nearly 30 flyovers have been built in the last 10 years. The flyovers were constructed at significantly lower costs than estimated, saving Rs 557 crore,” she contended.

She went on, “Most charging points and stations have been set up for electric vehicles in Delhi. This is a remarkable electric vehicle policy, under which the registration of the highest 17% of electric vehicles has been done in the country. Under this model, Delhi has seen the arrival of 1,300 electric buses so far, which is the highest figure in the country.”

She said that AAP’s health and education models have earned high praise from many prominent figures across the globe, such as former First Lady Melania Trump and former United Nations secretary-generals Ban Ki-moon and Kofi Annan.

“The think tank of the Central Government, NITI Aayog, has said that Delhi’s government schools are among the top ten in the country because significant changes have been observed in the education system here,” Kakkar claimed.