Inaugurating a waste-to-energy plant in Delhi’s Tehkhand on Thursday, Union Minister Amit Shah tore into AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal for only focusing on publicity. Accusing the Delhi CM of misleading people by making tall claims in advertisements, he alleged that the AAP government had not paid dues worth Rs.40,000 crore to the erstwhile Municipal Corporations in the national capital. Assuring the people that development won’t be impacted because of AAP’s politicking, he called upon them to choose the politics of development, change and transparency over the politics of advertisement, publicity and corruption. 

Amit Shah asserted, “Kejriwal Ji makes various press statements every day. He gives big advertisements every day. And he has assumed that development will happen because of press interviews. He has assumed that the people of the country will be fooled by giving advertisements. This delusion can last for 5 years, or 7 years but the people come to know eventually. I want to tell the people of Delhi that the AAP party wants to make Delhi AAP Nirbhar. We want to make Delhi Aatmanirbhar. The people of Delhi have to decide whether they want AAP Nirbhar Delhi or Aatmanirbhar Delhi.”

He added, “There were three Municipal Corporations in Delhi. Why did we have to amalgamate them into one? Because you gave second-class treatment by not giving dues worth Rs.40,000 crore to the Municipal Corporations owing to which the Municipal Corporations weren’t in a condition to function. I want to ask you whether dues should be given to the Municipal Corporation or not? Isn’t this the responsibility of the Delhi government or not? The AAP party’s government has betrayed the people of Delhi by resorting to such low-level politics.”

“You have to choose between the politics of advertisement and politics of development. Do you like the politics of publicity or the politics of change? Do you like the politics of corruption or the politics of transparency? People of Delhi have to decide this. He feels that the people of Delhi will go against MCD if we don’t give funds. But we will go to every house of Delhi and explain how you meted out injustice to all three Municipal Corporations,” he elaborated. In wake of the upcoming MCD polls, he exhorted people to give a befitting response to AAP in a democratic manner. 

LG seeks release of funds to MCD

Amit Shah’s criticism comes a month after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena asked CM Arvind Kejriwal to release Rs.383.74 crore due to the city’s MCD in areas such as education and health. In a letter addressed to the AAP supremo, he stressed that holding the fund “without any reason” was adversely impacting primary education and health in Delhi. This comes even as AAP has made free and quality education as well as healthcare a poll plank since its inception. 

On September 6, the LG wrote, “The above grant is essentially required for operation and development of infrastructure related to schools, hospitals, dispensaries, roads, footpaths, etc. which impact the daily life of the citizens of Delhi. It need not be emphasised that the above Budget estimates were voted and approved by the Delhi Legislative Assembly and it was incumbent upon the Urban Development Authority to timely release the funds to the MCD. However, it was not done despite several requests and due to non-release of funds, the provision of various public services by the MCD is being adversely impacted.”