Arvind Kejriwal going back on poll promise: Manoranjan Kalia

Manoranjan Kalia, Bhagwant Mann. File photos

Tribune News Service

Chandighar/Jalandhar, April 17

The BJP today accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of playing fraud with the people of Punjab in the name of free power.

Had vowed to only bill units over 300

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had promised to charge tariff only on those units consumed over and above 300 free ones. It’s a clear breach of trust. — Manoranjan Kalia, BJP

CM Mann’s Delhi visit deferred

Chandigarh: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s scheduled Delhi visit on Monday has been deferred. According to sources, the postponement was due to some important local engagements. The CM was to visit Delhi schools and hospitals along with Arvind Kejriwal. TNS

“This announcement is high on rhetoric and low on delivery,” state BJP general secretary Dr Subhash Sharma said in a statement. He pointed out about 27 lakh consumers were already getting the benefit of 200 units of free power in Punjab and the AAP had added 100 more but with a lot of conditions that not many people would be able to fulfil.

In Jalandhar, former minister and BJP veteran said the announcement of 300 units of free electricity a month with a rider — if the consumer consumes more than 300 units a month, they will have to pay the full bill — amounted to breach of trust of people.

Kalia claimed in a press statement on June 29, 2021, after meeting the AAP leaders in Chandigarh, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to charge tariff only on those units consumed over and above the 300 free ones.”

He said: “It is important to note that this press conference was addressed by AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister. Bhagwant Singh Mann, then state AAP president, and Raghav Chaddha, co-incharge of Punjab affairs, were also present there. The Delhi Chief Minister had promised 300 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers in Punjab. Thus the recent announcement by the AAP government amounts to betraying what the Delhi CM had then promised on June 29 as ‘Kejriwal’s guarantee’.”

The former BJP minister said at his press conference, AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised uninterrupted electricity supply if the AAP came to power in the state. The AAP government in Punjab had announced implementation of its promise of 300 units of free power from July 1, but unannounced outages had already started, he added.

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