You should give up ‘false promises’: Delhi BJP chief writes to Kejriwal

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva criticized AAP's Kejriwal for false promises and urged him to change his political practices ahead of elections.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Virendra Sachdeva on Wednesday criticised Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, urging him to “stop making false promises” and “playing with the sentiments of Delhi’s women, elders, and religious communities.”

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Wednesday. (PTI)

In an apparent reference to the AAP’s announcements in the run-up to the Delhi elections, promising free healthcare for the elderly and a monthly pension for women and priests, Sachedva wrote to Kejriwal, asking the former Delhi chief minister to make a New Year’s resolution to “give up his bad habit of lying and cheating.”

The AAP hit back, alleging that the BJP is “rattled” by Kejriwal’s guarantees for women and priests and is lashing out at the former Delhi CM as it cannot counter his promises.

Extending New Year’s greetings to Kejriwal, Sachdeva suggested five New Year’s resolutions. The Delhi BJP chief said he hoped that, on the first day of 2025, Kejriwal would strive to bring meaningful change by abandoning “dishonest and deceitful political practices”.

He also demanded that Kejriwal apologise to Delhi’s citizens for promoting liquor and failing to deliver on promises like cleaning the Yamuna.

Sachdeva also asked Kejriwal to “publicly apologise for the unpardonable crime of false assurances … of cleaning the Yamuna”; to resolve not to associate with or accept donations from anti-national forces for political gains and not to take false oaths.

“On the first day of 2025, I hope you will strive for meaningful change by abandoning dishonest political practices,” he said.

His criticism coincided with a letter from Kejriwal to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, alleging that the BJP was “openly” distributing money and attempting to delete Purvanchali and Dalit voters from Delhi’s electoral rolls ahead of the assembly elections.

“Has the BJP ever provided free electricity, water, education, healthcare, or transformed schools and hospitals like Arvind Kejriwal has? No. They are rattled by his new guarantees — ₹2,100 for every woman and ₹18,000 per month for pujaris and granthis, and the BJP doesn’t know how to respond to this,” the AAP said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The BJP must focus on improving law and order in Delhi and implement the Delhi governance model that Arvind Kejriwal has successfully established in all 20 states where the BJP rules,” the party said.