Cleared Metro Phase-4, now fulfil promise to donate ₹1.1 lakh: AAP reminds BJP’s Manoj Tiwari
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari had, on October 18 this year, tweeted he would donate ₹1.1 lakh to AAP if chief minister Arvind Kejriwal cleared Phase-4 of the metro, a project that was delayed by a fund crunch.
The Aam Aadmi Party has reminded Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari of his promise to donate ₹1.11 lakh to the party after the Delhi government’s nod to Delhi Metro’s Phase-4.
Tiwari had, on October 18 this year, tweeted he would donate that amount if chief minister Arvind Kejriwal cleared Phase-4 of the metro, a project that was delayed by a fund crunch.
“We hope Manoj Tiwari will fulfil his promise, unlike Narendra Modi and the BJP government,” the party wrote in Hindi on its Twitter handle.
The tweet shared a link to donate for AAP and said it would also make the BJP leader a part of the government’s Digital India campaign.
After a delay of more than two years, the Delhi government on Wednesday approved Metro Phase-4 that comprises six new metro rail lines spreading over 103 km.
Tiwari’s tweet in October was in response to AAP’s email to BJP Delhi’s email ID seeking donations for the election campaign the Kejriwal-led party had just started for the Lok Sabha elections.
“Arvind Kejriwal ji, people have chosen you to represent them. Don’t punish them. Delhi gave you 67 out of 70 seats. The chief minister of that place is saying that we will not give you Phase 4 of Metro? You want donations? Clear the Delhi Metro Phase 4 and I will give you ₹111,100 from the money I have earned from singing,” Tiwari’s tweet, now deleted, had said.
After two years of back and forth between the Delhi government and the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, the Phase-4 project was finally cleared by the Kejriwal cabinet on Wednesday.
Deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, while making the announcement on Wednesday, said the project was cleared despite BJP’s alleged attempts to create hurdles.
When contacted, Tiwari said he would donate the money, but not to AAP.
“This has confirmed the AAP government was deliberately stalling the Metro Phase-4 project. As promised, I will give ₹50,000 each to the families of late Santosh Koli and Soni, both AAP members,” he said.
Soni, a Delhi-based AAP worker, allegedly committed suicide in 2016. Another activist, Santosh Koli, died in a road accident this year.
“The AAP government proves itself by its work. We cleared Metro Phase-4 project despite hurdles created by the Centre. We do not need his (Manoj Tiwari) donation. He should, instead, apologise for what he said in October,” AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said in a statement.
