As leaders of the AAP and the BJP hit the streets of Delhi on Saturday to clean up the mess created by a strike by sanitation workers, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh poked fun at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by calling them “masters of nautanki (drama)”.
“AAP starts cleanliness drive after Sanitation Workers strike has been called off. Photo ops for AAP. Modi and Kejriwal are Masters of (nautanki),” the Congress general secretary tweeted.
In another tweet in Hindi, Singh contended that Modi and Kejriwal were engaged in a ‘noora kushti’ (fixed fight) to hide the reality. He said they should instead focus on the promises they had made to the public, which knows everything.
{{/usCountry}}In another tweet in Hindi, Singh contended that Modi and Kejriwal were engaged in a ‘noora kushti’ (fixed fight) to hide the reality. He said they should instead focus on the promises they had made to the public, which knows everything.
{{/usCountry}}Top Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, picked up brooms and shovels to clear garbage as the party launched a cleanliness drive in the national capital a day after sanitation workers called off a 12-day strike.
“We are here to support the sanitation workers...The Delhi government doesn't have the money but we have taken out funds to pay workers...If the BJP can't pay their salaries, we will not only pay salaries but also help them clean up," said Sisodia.
BJP workers and leaders too launched a cleanliness drive in parts of the city.
The strike ended after the 15,000 workers were assured of being given their salaries for two months which had not been paid. All three municipal bodies in Delhi are run by the BJP while the city government is under the AAP.
Following the Delhi high court's intervention on Friday, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung agreed to release Rs 493 crore to the mayors of three municipal bodies to pay salaries to the workers, ending a tug of war with the city government. AAP leaders claimed Rs 513 crore was released the previous day by chief minister Kejriwal to meet arrears.
Municipal officials, however, said there is still a possibility of future strikes as the funds may be insufficient for paying the salaries of all employees.
The AAP government has been engaged in a bruising battle with the Lieutenant Governor over appointments to key posts and the transfer of officials, with the party accusing Jung of acting at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre.