Kejriwal visits landfill site, attacks BJP over failure in waste management
He blamed the BJP’s misgovernance over the last 15 years for the creation of three garbage mountains, including in Ghazipur, and said the civic elections will be fought over the garbage issue
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-controlled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over its failure in waste management as he visited the Ghazipur landfill site. He blamed the BJP’s misgovernance over the last 15 years for the creation of three garbage mountains, including in Ghazipur, and said the civic elections will be fought over the garbage issue.
“People living several kilometres from these mountains have to suffer due to stink. A similar situation prevails in every nook and corner of the city. There is garbage everywhere. Over the last 15 years, this is the achievement of the BJP,” Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal said the BJP is ashamed of its work and that its workers tried to stop him while he was coming to the site by carrying out protests. “We will not protest if BJP leaders come to see our schools and hospitals...why are you ashamed to showcase your work. Last week, police were deployed around the garbage mountains to remove our people. This is not garbage mountain but the mountain of their corruption and misdeeds.”
Kejriwal challenged the BJP to showcase one good work it has carried out over the last 15 years. “They cannot even talk about one good work. In contrast, you can talk to any person on the street about our work. People will tell you about schools, hospitals, free electricity, and water.”
Kejriwal said the BJP only cries about him not providing MCD with funds. “They only worry about money. Over the last 15 years, BJP has spent ₹2,00,000 crores. Where has this money gone? This was taxes paid by people and GST being paid on eatables. Out of this money, half was paid by the Delhi government.”
Kejriwal said central ministers complain that money was not being provided to MCD. He added they should clarify how much money have they sent. “Over the last 15 years, not one rupee has been provided to MCD while similar funds are provided to all the municipal bodies in the country. I want to appeal to the people of Delhi. Will they listen to such abuses being hurled at me?”
Kejriwal said that BJP wants to create 16 more landfill sites even as MCD has repeatedly denied this.
His visit to the landfill site led to shouting matches between the BJP and ruling Aam Aadmi Party supporters, leading to traffic snarls between Ghaziabad and Delhi.
BJP’s Delhi spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Kejriwal has understood the importance of serious work after eight years. “People of Delhi will be grateful if he tells them what contribution his government has made to ensure the removal of garbage mounds at landfill sites both financially and administratively. The Kejriwal government has played only dirty politics of financially crippling MCD which needed support to rid Delhi of garbage mounds,” Kapoor said.
BJP functionaries shared videos of garbage in areas AAP councillors represent. The party also tried to counter Kejriwal by attempting to highlight the pollution levels and frothing in Yamuna.
BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said Kejriwal only engages in publicity through advertisement while the Delhi government has failed to clean the Yamuna.
