BJP questions Arvind Kejriwal’s “freebie” campaign, alleges 21,000 deaths in Delhi due to contaminated water

Alleging that 21,000 people in Delhi have died due to contaminated drinking water, the Delhi BJP on Friday hit out at Arvind Kejriwal’s “freebie” campaign, hinting at misgovernance and discrimination among citizens while implementing welfare schemes.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said the former Kejriwal government and the current AAP regime have failed to provide clean drinking water to Delhiites and according to the government’s own data, 21,000 people have died in the past few years due to consumption of contaminated water.

“The Rs 73,000 crore scam in the Delhi Jal Board is a glaring example of Kejriwal’s misgovernance. Once the BJP comes to power, we will reorganise the DJB and ensure tap water supply to every household,” said Sachdeva.

Free water and power were the key highlights of Kejriwal’s Assembly election pitch made at a party meeting earlier in the day.

Sachdeva questioned why Kejriwal, who claims to provide free electricity, does not extend the subsidy to everyone. “Benefits of welfare schemes are the right of every Delhiite, and the BJP will ensure these rights are upheld once it comes to power,” said Sachdeva.

“If BJP comes to power, we will implement all central government schemes in Delhi and expand the scope of welfare programmes in the state,” he said.

The Delhi BJP chief also asked why electricity rates in Delhi were so high, with industrialists having to pay Rs 18 per unit while the AAP government was exploiting other residents under the guise of surcharge.

Sachdeva said in states governed by the BJP, all central government schemes have been implemented effectively, contributing uniquely to societal progress. However, Delhi remains an exception, as a corrupt government here has prevented the implementation of many central government schemes due to political rivalry.

Whether it is the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Vishwakarma Scheme, Ujjwala Yojana, or the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, people across the country have benefitted from these initiatives. But Delhi has been unfortunate as these schemes were not implemented here due to the corrupt government, Sachdeva said, adding, “Welfare schemes should be accessible to all.”

Apart from free electricity and water, quality schools, quality hospitals and mohalla clinics, free bus travel for women, and pilgrimage for the elderly in Delhi were highlighted earlier by Kejriwal as the AAP government’s six “revadis”.

The Delhi BJP President criticised the Kejriwal-Atishi governments for the mismanagement of school infrastructure. He alleged that by engaging in corruption in classroom construction, the AAP government has jeopardised the future of 1.5 lakh students who failed in Class 9 and Class 11.

“All government schools in Delhi do not offer science and commerce streams after Class 10,” he said.

Talking about healthcare, he questioned the so-called free services offered by Kejriwal’s party. “Patients are forced to wait for years to get appointments for tests in government hospitals and expired and fake medicines are being given to patients,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor questioned the absence of Chief Minister Atishi from Kejriwal’s “Revdi pe Charcha” programme earlier in the day.

“Whenever a ruling party in any state launches an election campaign, the Chief Minister is generally present on the stage. However, CM Atishi’s absence from the launch stage of AAP’s campaign has led people to wonder whether all is politically well between Kejriwal and Atishi,” Kapoor said.

(With inputs from IANS)