PM Modi slams ‘AAPda’ govt amid big Delhi infrastructure push
Elections in Delhi are likely to be held in February, when the AAP will seek a third full term, facing off against the BJP and the Congress
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday, likening Delhi’s ruling party to a disaster and calling for the defeat of former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the upcoming assembly elections, while opening a string of big-ticket infrastructure and educational projects in the Capital.
At the event in Ashok Vihar, Modi accused the Delhi government of blocking central schemes and sheltering corruption, and Kejriwal of building a “sheesh mahal” (shimmering palace) in what was a virtual launch of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s assembly polls campaign.
“This is the capital of the country, and the residents of Delhi have dreamt of good governance. But for the past 10 years, Delhi has been surrounded by a major ‘AAPda' (disaster). Some extremely corrupt individuals, using Anna Hazare’s image, have pushed Delhi into this AAPda,” Modi said during his 43-minute speech.
He alleged scams in liquor contracts, schools, health care for the poor, fighting pollution, and recruitments. “These people talk about the development of Delhi, but they have descended upon Delhi as an ‘AAPda’. They engage in open corruption and then glorify it… that’s why the people of Delhi have launched a war against this ‘AAPda’,” he said.
“The voters of Delhi have resolved to free the city from this disaster. Every citizen of Delhi is saying, every child of Delhi is saying, voices are rising from every street in Delhi — ‘We will not tolerate this AAPda, we will change it’,” he added.
Modi was speaking after opening and laying the foundation stones of seven key projects – 1,675 flats for the poor at Ashok Vihar for slum rehabilitation, two campuses and a new college for Delhi University (DU), a World Trade Centre (WTC) at Nauroji Nagar, government quarters in Sarojini Nagar, and an integrated office complex for the Central Bureau of Secondary Education in Dwarka,
Elections in Delhi are likely to be held in February, when the AAP will seek a third full term, facing off against the BJP and the Congress. The party got an overwhelming majority five years ago with 62 seats in the 70-member assembly.
The AAP hit back at the PM, with Kejriwal describing the BJP as an “enemy of the poor” and saying the work of the state government in education, health and power was a source of blessings, not disaster.
“No ‘aapda’ has descended upon Delhi, but the ‘aapda’ has descended upon the BJP -- the BJP does not have any CM face; BJP has no issue to contest the elections; BJP has no agenda for the elections. The disaster of law and order has hit Delhi,” he said.
During his speech, Modi mentioned “sheesh mahal” a few times, a reference to the controversy around the allegedly extravagant renovation of the bungalow where Kejriwal stayed as CM between 2015 and 2024.
“The country knows well that Modi has never built a house for himself, but in the past 10 years, he has fulfilled the dreams of over four crore poor families by providing them home. I could have built a Sheesh Mahal for myself, but for me, the only dream was to ensure that my fellow citizens have a permanent home,” Modi said.
“This year will mark the beginning of a new politics of nation-building and public welfare in Delhi. Therefore, we need to remove the AAPda government and bring in the BJP,” he added.
At the event organised by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Modi handed over the keys of houses to beneficiaries in the Swabhiman Apartments. He called it a “new beginning” for slum dwellers who will be shifting into the 1,675 flats soon. “The houses allotted to the people symbolise a house of self-respect, self-esteem and new aspirations and dreams,” Modi said, adding that during the Emergency, he stayed in Ashok Vihar as part of an underground movement.
The PM said that most of the roads, the metro, large hospitals, and major college campuses in Delhi were being built by the central government, but a lot of the work under the state government was stuck, such as the Yamuna cleaning process.
“Today, after 10 years, they say this with such shamelessness that cleaning the Yamuna does not win votes. If it does not win votes, will they leave the Yamuna uncleaned? If the Yamuna is not cleaned, how will Delhi get drinking water? It is because of their actions that the people of Delhi get dirty water today. This government has handed over the lives of Delhi residents to the tanker mafia. If the ‘AAPda’ people continue, they will lead Delhi into an even more dire situation in the future,” Modi said.
He countered the AAP’s flagship scheme on free electricity and said that the central government made electricity bills zero and also helped people earn money by generating electricity under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Modi said due to the central government’s one nation one ration card scheme, people of Delhi received a major relief. “Earlier making a ration card had become a challenge. The AAPda government took bribes for making ration cards,” said Modi.
The PM also hit out at the AAP government over non-implementation of the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana. “I want to extend the benefits of the Ayushman scheme, which provides free medical treatment, to the people of Delhi. But the government has a deep-seated animosity towards the people of Delhi…as a result, the people of Delhi are suffering. Even if Modi wishes to serve you [through the scheme], he cannot do so due to the sins of AAPda,” Modi said, adding that the central government has now included senior citizens over 70 in the Ayushman scheme.
To be sure, Kejriwal has promised free health care to all senior citizens at all hospitals in Delhi, private or government, if elected back to power.
Modi said that the central government was working with great sensitivity for the people of Delhi. “By regularising many colonies, the BJP government has alleviated the concerns of millions, but the local government has turned them into victims of a disaster. The BJP-led central government is running special single-window camps to assist people (in unauthorised colonies), but the Delhi government has failed to provide proper water and sewer facilities in these colonies. As a result, millions of residents of Delhi are facing significant hardships,” Modi said.
Hours later, Kejriwal hit back.
“Bullets are being fired openly in Delhi, women are screaming, traders are demanding security but Modi ji and Amit Shah are not able to hear. I request the PM to ask Amit Shah ji to give some time [to managing] the law and order in Delhi if he gets some time from poaching MLAs, and breaking governments,” said Kejriwal.
He also accused the BJP of breaking promises. “The PM had promised in 2020 that he will give pucca houses to slum dwellers by 2022, but stabbed them in the back. I assure you that if you vote for them even by mistake, they will demolish all the slums by 2030 and bring the people on the streets. They are the enemies of the poor,” the former CM said.
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