AAP government is working against the interest of common people in Delhi: Nadda

On the last Sunday before the municipal election scheduled on December 4, JP Nadda attended three events, including a door-to-door campaign in a slum cluster in Keshavpuram, Wazirpur, seeking public support for the party, which is eyeing a fourth consecutive term in the corporation

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Sunday said that while the country is progressing, there is no development in Delhi as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government is “working against the interest of the common people”.

Taking a dig at the AAP, JP Nadda said the party is “neck-deep in corruption” and their minister is “getting special treatment in Tihar jail, including massage by a rapist”. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Taking a dig at the AAP, Nadda said the party is “neck-deep in corruption” and their minister is “getting special treatment in Tihar jail, including massage by a rapist”.

On the last Sunday before the municipal election scheduled on December 4, Nadda attended three events, including a door-to-door campaign in a slum cluster in Keshavpuram, Wazirpur, seeking public support for the party, which is eyeing a fourth consecutive term in the corporation.

Addressing a public meeting in Ashok Vihar, Nadda said, “The country is marching forward, but Delhi has been deprived of development. The government in Delhi works against the interest of people.”

Taking potshots at the AAP, Nadda said that they had promised to close down liquor vends in the city. “But they have ensured that there are liquor shops in each and every residential colony,” said Nadda.

Referring to the purported videos of Delhi minister Satyendar Jain allegedly getting special treatment in Tihar Jail, Nadda said, “They have done work in education and health sectors also. They have opened a massage centre in Tihar Jail and turned a rapist into a therapist.” Nadda was hinting at a CCTV video of a prisoner, jailed for rape, allegedly massaging Jain in his cell. The AAP has said that Jain was getting physiotherapy in jail.

Addressing a public meeting in Molarband in Badarpur assembly constituency, Nadda listed out the work done by the BJP, which has ruled the civic body for 15 years, despite the fiscal crisis. He blamed both the Congress and AAP for doing politics to “weaken the corporation”. “The Congress trifurcated the corporation to weaken the MCD so that people are deprived of essential facilities. This resulted in a drop in revenue and affected our functioning. The AAP government reduced its budget from ₹7,000 crore to ₹6,171 crore so that people don’t get basic services. But I’m happy that Union home minister Amit Shah has unified it again,” he said.

The BJP president also alleged that the ruling party in Delhi is neck-deep in corruption. Calling deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia the head of the liquor mafia, Nadda said, “He asked me what work the MCD has done. It is true that we are not involved in done scams such as liquor, classroom, health, water like the AAP. We have regularised 13,000 municipal workers despite the Delhi government not releasing funds to the tune of ₹32,000 crore.”

Nadda added that the BJP-led MCD deployed water sprinklers when Delhi became a “gas chamber” due to stubble burning in Punjab which the AAP-led government in Punjab couldn’t control.

Responding to Nadda’s charges, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said at a public rally on Sunday that Nadda should talk to people to find out what work the AAP has done.

“Arvind Kejriwal doesn’t need to list out the work done by him, JP Nadda can go to any corner of Delhi, and the people will tell him the work Kejriwal has done for them,” Sisodia said.