Odd-even, Centre vs AAP, Gujarat polls: Highlights of Kejriwal’s ‘Talk to AK’

The Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections in Gujarat next year if the people demand it and Delhi might see the odd-even road rationing scheme return this winter, city chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday.

The Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections in Gujarat next year if the people demand it and Delhi might see the odd-even road rationing scheme return this winter, city chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday. In his live webcast “Talk to AK”, the AAP chief lashed out at the Centre, saying the NDA government was trying to paralyse the city administration.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took questions from public during an interactive session “Talk to AK”.

AAP vs BJP

“The Centre’s problem is our honesty and integrity. Have asked our MLAs to get ready to go to jail,” he said in response to a question by a viewer.

This is the latest in a long string of bitter clashes between the BJP and AAP, who have publicly slugged it out earlier over police jurisdiction, files and bureaucrats.

He alleged that BJP chief Amit Shah was micromanaging the CBI, days after an AAP legislator was arrested on molestation charges. A bureaucrat close to the CM is also under central probe. “Police working like British police. The Centre wants to break us.”

Read: As it happened: Will contest polls in Gujarat if people want, says Kejriwal

Gujarat foray

Kejriwal said the party received a “tremendous response” in Gujarat. He recently visited the state in an attempt to woo angry farmers and Patel community leaders, who are moving away from the BJP after violent protests over quota demands last year. “People are angry and sad. They want change.”

He also said that he planned to meet the human resource development minister to press for priority treatment for Delhi students in 28 city colleges. But experts say such a quota for local students is impractical because Delhi University is not under the state government and the admission season is nearing its end.

Odd-even

On the radical odd-even plan, Kejriwal said the government was thinking about bringing it back in the winter.

The scheme, under which odd and even-numbered cars are allowed on city roads on alternate days, was first brought in last January to clean Delhi’s air and reduce traffic congestion.

But the jury is out over the effectiveness of the plan with experts saying the second phase of the scheme in April was mostly ineffective in tackling air pollution.