'If welfare schemes are to continue, why vote for you then?' Kejriwal hits BJP over manifesto
New Delhi: The BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Delhi elections has been met with strong criticism from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with Arvind Kejriwal questioning why voters should support the BJP if it intends to continue the welfare schemes already implemented by the AAP. In response, the BJP accused Kejriwal of failing to distinguish between "revdi" (freebies) and development.
Union Minister and BJP president JP Nadda unveiled the first part of the party's three-part 'Sankalp Patra', emphasizing that women's welfare would be central to the BJP's agenda. The manifesto promises financial assistance to women, young mothers, and senior citizens, as well as subsidies on cylinders, among other initiatives.
Kejriwal, however, took a dig at the BJP's manifesto, questioning if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the promises, given his repeated criticism of AAP's welfare schemes and his calls to end the "revdi culture." "Was permission taken from PM Modi before announcing free revdi? Our demand is that PM Modi should come forward and say that free revdi is not a loss for the country but God's prasad, and that he was wrong and Kejriwal is right," Kejriwal said.
New Delhi: In response to Nadda’s statement that the BJP would continue AAP’s welfare schemes if it came to power, Kejriwal asked why the public should vote for the BJP. "BJP has openly accepted that Kejriwal is running many welfare schemes in Delhi which are benefiting the families of BJP members also. We don't know how to do politics, we know how to work. And we do such work that even our opponents praise it," he wrote in an online post.
Kejriwal further mocked the BJP, stating that the party’s manifesto should be called the "Kejriwal Patra" since it promised to continue all the welfare work done by AAP. "All the work done by Kejriwal will be done better by Kejriwal himself, then why should anyone vote for BJP?" he added. He also criticized the BJP for not addressing the law-and-order situation in Delhi, referring to "gang wars" in the city, and accusing the BJP of lacking a vision for Delhi’s future.
In defense of the BJP's manifesto, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva stated that Kejriwal failed to understand the difference between handing out freebies and empowering citizens. "Arvind babu, when you make promises, it seems you are handing out promises. When we talk about it, we talk about all-round development and empowerment. But you won't understand it," Sachdeva remarked.
Nadda had also accused the AAP government of corruption, stating that it had failed to fulfill its promises in both Delhi and Punjab. He criticized AAP's flagship Mohalla Clinics, calling them a "den of corruption," and vowed to investigate them if the BJP came to power.