Blame game between AAP, BJP erupts over move to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi

Hitting out at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning the timing of the announcement, state BJP president Manoj Tiwari said, “The central government had to take the decision as the Delhi government has been sitting on the matter for the last four years. We want to know why didn’t Kejriwal do anything about regularising these colonies?”

A blame game ensued between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday after the Centre constituted a committee to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

A blame game ensued between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday after the Centre constituted a committee to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi. (PTI File Photo)

“BJP has woken up to the issue of unauthorised colonies today? Ahead of the 2014 elections Modi had made this promise? Why did Modi not do it in the last five years? Since the past 20 years, BJP and Congress have been fooling people of these colonies on the same lines. Every time they make the same promise and forget about it once the elections are over,” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted .

AAP national spokesperson and Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj called the move a sham. “This government remembered about illegal colonies when it barely has 3-4 days left to actually exercise it’s powers. After that, the model code of conduct will be imposed and then the general elections would be held. So, all these committees are merely a sham,” he said.

The BJP, however, blamed the AAP Delhi government for not keeping its poll promises.

“The Centre has been successful in doing what the Kejriwal led government could not do in four years,” said Vijender Gupta, leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly and BJP MLA form Rohini. He said the AAP’s 2015 election manifesto had promised to regularise unauthorised colonies within one year of coming to power. “But, in four years CM Kejriwal could not even demarcate boundaries of the unauthorised colonies in Delhi,” he said.

Hitting out at Kejriwal for questioning the timing of the announcement, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said, “The central government had to take the decision as the Delhi government has been sitting on the matter for the last four years. We want to know why didn’t Kejriwal do anything about regularising these colonies?”