Hitting back at the Opposition in the run-up to the Assembly elections, Sheila Dikshit on Sunday slammed the chief ministerial candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party and questioned their ways of functioning.
The Delhi chief minister took on the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan and disparaged his promises on providing security to women.
“The Opposition is making false promises. The CM candidate has been making promises of securing the city for women. Lekin jab aap apne ghar ke andar mahilaon ko suraksha nahi de sakte toh aap Dilli ko kaise surakshit karenge? (How will you provide security to women in the city when you failed to keep safe a woman at your residence?),” Dikshit asked. Her reference was to the alleged rape of a domestic worker at Vardhan’s residence when he was health minister in the 1990s.
The rally, which was also addressed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, was held at Dakshipuri under the Ambedkar Nagar constituency. The area houses a number of resettlement and unauthorised colonies.
The rising vegetable prices figured in the CM’s speech. Criticising the Opposition for spreading “lies” on the issue, she defended her government’s response to rising prices, an issue likely to have a major impact on the elections.
{{/usCountry}}The rising vegetable prices figured in the CM’s speech. Criticising the Opposition for spreading “lies” on the issue, she defended her government’s response to rising prices, an issue likely to have a major impact on the elections.
{{/usCountry}}“It is true that the prices of onions and potatoes have increased. But we sent out 200 vans to distribute vegetables so that the prices come down. Today, the prices are down to `50-45. The BJP is spreading lies with their posters claiming that the price of onions is `100. Haven’t prices risen everywhere?”
Dikshit asked AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal to explain the source of his party’s funds. “Kejriwal talks a lot about corruption. Politically, he has no experience. I would like to know what his political philosophy is. Where is he getting all this money from? Even the court has asked this question,” she said.
Senior party leader Shakeel Ahmad termed Vardhan a liar for taking credit for the pulse polio campaign, and attacked the BJP for using Narendra Modi to seek votes.