'Brazen lies': Kejriwal's attack over GST, Agnipath scheme gets BJP's rebuttal

Arvind Kejriwal alleged that there seems to be something wrong with the Centre's finances the way it is "strongly opposing" free facilities for people.

Describing the allegations as “brazen lies”, the Bharatiya Janata (BJP) on Thursday hit out at Arvind Kejriwal soon after the Delhi chief minister claimed it waived off ₹10 lakh crore of loans and ₹5 lakh crore of taxes of super-rich people and their companies.

BJP IT department in-charge Amit Malviya and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

“The Centre hasn’t waived off loans but recovered 6.5 lakh crore since 2014-15,” BJP IT department in-charge Amit Malviya tweeted.

At an online briefing, Kejriwal alleged that there seems to be something wrong with the Centre's finances the way it is "strongly opposing" free facilities for people. Questioning the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme, Kejriwal said, “It is for the first time in the country's history that the government is justifying their Agnipath Yojna. It said it is being done so the government does not have to pay pensions to defence persons anymore.”

He said the reduction in states' share in central taxes from 42 per cent to 29 per cent, Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on food items and 25 per cent cut in MNREGA fund, Kejriwal asked where was all the money going.

Responding to his allegation, Malviya said, “No where has center said that Agniveer is to cut pension bill. Modi Govt has all the money for our Armed Forces. No tax on loose food items. States levied VAT earlier (sic).”

On MNREGA, the BJP leader said the Centre hasn’t cut its allocation and states aren’t able to spend it.

Kejriwal also alleged that the Centre collects a huge amount of taxes, including ₹3.5 lakh per annum on petrol and diesel, and was still against providing people of the country free education, healthcare and other facilities.

Issuing a rebuttal of the charges, Malviya tweeted, “The Modi Govt’s Ayushman Bharat is the biggest healthcare program in the world. Kejriwal hasn’t set up a single hospital in Delhi… Center is providing free food to 80 crore people…”

His reaction came after Modi's statement on freebies. Modi had said, "Freebies will restrict India from becoming self-reliant and increase the burden on taxpayers."

Earlier on Wednesday, in his speech during the inauguration of the 2G ethanol plant, the Prime Minister also spoke out against the culture of freebies.