Ahead of Prime Minister's rally at the Ramlila Maidan, the AAP on Friday sought response from Narendra Modi over the "tall promises" made by the BJP during the last assembly and Lok Sabha election on conferring statehood to Delhi and slashing electricity tariff.
The party said the BJP showed the statehood "lolipop" in the last assembly and Lok Sabha election and did not act on it. It has also launched a Twitter campaign #DelhiasksPMModi ahead of the rally and asked people as to what their expectations were from the Prime Minister. "PM addressing Delhi tomorrow for the 1st time. What are your expectations from him tomorrow? "Tomorrow Modi ji addresses Delhi. He had promised full statehood to Delhi. Will he announce that tomorrow? Or will BJP do a U-turn on this issue also?" AAP's convener Arvind Kejriwal said in a series of tweets.
Besides the issue of full statehood to Delhi, the former Delhi chief minister said reduction in electricity tariff by 30% was also among the promises made by BJP in its poll manifesto before the last election. "Before polls, BJP announced 30 per cent reduction in electricity rates. Delhi eagerly hoping that PM would announce that tomorrow #DelhiasksPMModi," Kejriwal tweeted. Speaking at the sidelines of a function, the former Delhi chief minister said the BJP has not only failed to slash the electricity tariff, but also could not curb inflation and corruption.
"Now I would like to remind Modiji about the promise that his party had made before last Delhi assembly election. Not only me, but entire people of Delhi want to know whether he would announce to slash electricity tarrif by 30 per cent." "Not only Electricity, inflation and corruption have also hit very hard to Delhities and people are very much, including me, are eager to know what our prime minister is going to say about these," he said.
Working for statehood status to Delhi was promised by AAP, Congress and the BJP in last assembly and Lok Sabha election.
Senior AAP leader and former minister in the Kejriwal government, Manish Sisodia said the issue had multiple dimensions. "The issue of statehood has aspects like law and order, land transactions and multiplicity of agencies. The law enforcement agency should be under the direct control of the elected government of Delhi. "There is multiplicity of agencies in the national capital, which is hampering the work in the national capital," Sisodia told reporters.
When asked whether the AAP was jittery over Modi's rally, Sisodia said, "Yes, we are jittery, but for the false promises made by the Prime Minister. There are false promises and no actionable plan. We are fighting this election on issues and not on false promises." "If the BJP can bring an Ordinance to bring in changes in the Land Acquisition Act, then why couldn't they bring an Ordinance on granting statehood to Delhi," Sisodia said.
"What has the Centre done in last seven months? The Prime Minister says that he will not indulge in corruption and not allow anyone to indulge in corruption. But look at the MCDs which are being controlled by the BJP. The Prime Minister also needs to give clarification on the Ordinance on regularising unauthorised colonies, which will still not enable them to do property registration," Sisodia said. Taking a jibe at BJP's poll campaign, party leader Ashish Khetan said the saffron party has changed its slogan after the Lok Sabha polls.
"During the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP said, Acche din aane waale hain, but where are the good days? Now, the BJP has changed the slogan Chalo chale Modi ke saath (lets walk along with Modi) because they themselves know that good days have not come". Khetan claimed that in July this year, when a BJP leader sought response from the Centre over the statehood status to Delhi, the Ministry of Home Affairs had said that there was no such proposal.
"The Prime Minister has to answer on why has 70 to 80 per cent of the planned expenditure of the Delhi budget remained unspent. Why have e-rickhsaws not been regularised? Why has SIT appointed by the AAP government not been notified. "The BJP says the Munak canal problem has been solved. If it is solved then by when can people get water as 12 assembly constituencies are facing acute water shortage," Khetan added.
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