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4 issues AAP, BJP sparred over in a week
The skirmishes between the BJP and the AAP are not new but last week has seen a surge in sparring.
Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP have sparred on multiple occasions in the past. But the last few days have seen a rise in skirmishes between the two political parties. Arvind Kejriwal has often accused the central government - ruled by the BJP - of interfering in the initiatives of the AAP government in the national capital. He had even sent a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently when he had alleged that central probe agencies had been acting against leaders of his party. “Put all of us in jail at one go,” he had said at the time after Delhi minister Satyendar Jain was arrested in a money laundering case.
Here are the four instances within a week when the AAP and the BJP sparred:
1. The poster war: On Sunday, the AAP accused the Delhi Police of hijacking a Delhi government event that was supposed to be attended by Arvind Kejriwal. “They forcibly put up banners carrying pictures of PM (Narendra) Modi... The banners belonging to the AAP government were torn off," the AAP’s Gopal Rai said, adding the Delhi Police also warned people to not touch banners carrying pictures of the prime minister. Since then, multiple Twitter posts have been put out by the party, hitting out at the BJP and the Delhi Police. The issue has emerged as the latest standoff.
2. Delhi liquor policy: On Friday, BJP leaders and AAP leaders engaged into a war of words over the liquor policy as Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Sinha recommended a CBI probe over alleged discrepancies. While the BJP alleged that a rebate of ₹144 crore was given, Arvind Kejriwal yet again said that his deputy Manish Sisodia was likely to be targeted and arrested soon by the Enforcement Directorate.
3. Arvind Kejriwal’s Singapore visit: A couple of days ago, the Delhi chief minister had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was not given permission for a Singapore visit, later this month, for a summit. Later LG Saxena too rejected Kejriwal’s request.
4. ‘Revri’ row: PM Modi recently inaugurated an expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand when he made a mention of ‘revri’ culture. Revri is a cheap sweet snack in Delhi. The comment was an appeal to youngsters to avoid freebie culture. But it was seen as a dig at the Aam Aami Party, and prompted strong responses from Arvind Kejriwal. He said providing health and education services was not “freebie culture”.
