BJP highlights AAP govt’s ‘unfulfilled’ promises

New Delhi, July 22

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and senior party leader and South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri sought the resignation of the AAP government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing it of widespread corruption and failed promises.

Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, Sachdeva asserted, “Delhi is in pain and wants change. Delhiites are demanding the resignation of the Kejriwal government.” He further criticised the AAP government, claiming, “The entire Kejriwal government is entangled in a game of bail from jail, resulting in stalled development works.”

Highlighting unfulfilled promises from the 2015 elections, Sachdeva said, “Between 2011 and 2015, Kejriwal sold five guarantees to Delhiites — 100 schools per year, 1,000 mohalla clinics, free electricity, free water and freedom from pollution. Today, after 10 years, all five of Kejriwal’s guarantees have failed.”

He said despite the promise to open 100 schools per year, not a single new school has been opened in the last 10 years. “The academic level of Delhi students has dropped significantly because teachers are assigned event organisation and clerical duties instead of teaching,” he added.

Regarding the promise to open 1,000 mohalla clinics, Sachdeva noted that barely 300 clinics have been opened, most of which were old government clinics that have been refurbished.

Sachdeva argued that, after 10 years, free electricity remains a dream for owners of empty flats or very small houses. “Every other family has to pay the bill, and due to the PPAC and pension surcharge scams, Delhiites’ electricity bills are the highest. Middle-class families pay about Rs 10 per unit, while shopkeepers and industries pay Rs 18 per unit,” he added.

Regarding the promise of free water, Sachdeva pointed out that today, the poorest residents of Delhi are forced to buy water at Rs 30 per bottle for their families. “The water board doesn’t supply water, and when it does, it’s contaminated and undrinkable, forcing every family to buy drinking water.”

He also criticised the high cost of getting a water connection in Delhi, stating that the water board charges Rs 1.5 lakh per connection for houses between 25 and 100 yards, and Rs 4 lakh per connection for middle-class flats of 250 to 400 yards.

On the promise of a pollution-free Delhi, Sachdeva remarked, “Despite Kejriwal’s promises, today, Delhi is labelled the most polluted Capital in the world. During the winter of 2023-24, AQI was over 400.”

He also accused the Kejriwal government of failing to tackle corruption, saying, “Removing corruption and bringing in the Lokpal were dreams sold to the poor and middle class to come to power. Today, corruption is rampant in the government; the Chief Minister and ministers are in jail.”

Bidhuri asserted, “Whether it’s Delhi or Punjab, incompetence, deceit and corruption have become the hallmarks of the AAP government.” He criticised the AAP’s performance in education, health, public transport, pollution control and free electricity and water, stating, “The disappointing performance of Kejriwal’s government has disheartened Delhiites.”

Bidhuri also mentioned the BJP’s attempts to address issues in the Assembly, saying, “BJP MLAs have raised issues like increasing pollution in Delhi multiple times in the Assembly, but the Kejriwal government, instead of discussing and bringing improvements, expelled us from the Assembly to silence us.”