Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal practised a model of “politics through advertisements” and “development”.
Just hours before the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for Delhi Assembly polls and before the Model Code of Conduct kicked in, Mr. Shah made the comment while speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the Delhi Cycle Walk, a project to be undertaken by the Delhi Development Authority.
Mr. Shah said by not implementing schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Mr. Kejriwal has caused “maximum damage” to the poor people residing in the city. He added that Mr. Kejriwal is “scared” that the people of Delhi will start favoring the BJP in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls if such schemes are rolled out in the Capital.
“Mr. Kejriwal had promised to install 15 lakh CCTV cameras for the safety of residents. The people are looking all over but cannot find any camera. They had also promised free Wi-Fi. However, your mobile phone’s battery will drain out while trying to search for Wi-Fi signals as they are nowhere to be found,” Mr. Shah said.
The Home Minister also asked the people present at event to give a “missed call” on a number dictated by him in a bid to garner support for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He added that the Congress and AAP were responsible for the “riots” in city due to protests against the Act.
Highlighting the importance of the Delhi Cycle Walk project, which is scheduled to be completed in four years at a cost of ₹550 crore, both Mr. Shah and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stressed on the “development work” carried out by the Narendra Modi government in the Capital. Referring to “Jahaan Jhuggi Wahaan Makaan” scheme, Mr. Puri said tenants in the slum clusters will also be able to register under the scheme.
Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal said Delhi Cycle Walk project, which aims to cover around 36 km in the first phase, will help ease traffic load and be a major factor in curbing air pollution.
