Updated
New Delhi, Jan 10 (PTI): Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "anarachist" comment, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal today said the BJP was rattled ahead of the Delhi assembly elections and was resorting to personal attacks since it had no "positive agenda".
Attacking the BJP for making "personal" remarks against him, Kejriwal said, the saffron party in Delhi is a "ship without a captain" which has no positive agenda left in this election.
The AAP leader said he would refrain from responding to personal remarks made by the BJP.
Highlighting the achievements during his tenure, the former Delhi chief minister said all BJP leaders attacked him at the rally, but not his work during the 49-day government. The saffron party itself has given a certificate about his "good work".
"They say we dont know governance. Then who slashed electricity tariff and gave free water to people. Who ordered an audit of electricity companies. Do people involved in 2G and coal scams know governance?
"We know governance and we also know how to stage a dharna," Kejriwal said in a hurriedly called press conference at make-shift party office in 173 North Avenue.
The AAP leader said that the way he was ridiculed at the Ram Lila Maidan, where country's largest protest took place against corruption under the Anna movement, was "not right".
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi over his assurances of 24-hour free electricity, Kejriwal said the BJP is not able to fulfill the promises it made during last assembly and Lok Sabha elections and was again making new promises before delivering anything on the old ones.
"Its only the Aam Aadmi Party that has a formula to bring down the electricity tariff and corruption. Only we can do it."
"With every election, they come up with a new promise. Modi says it took seven months to eradicate corruption from the top. But when will you (Modi) reach the bottom? Firstly, you should know how to do it. If you dont, then tell us. We did it 49 days. But for that you need good intention to fight corruption,"
The BJP today kickstarted its poll campaign for Delhi by wooing the voters with a host of promises. The party singled out 'anarchist' AAP leader Kejriwal for attack and asked voters to punish him for "wasting" one year.
Slamming the BJP for not fulfilling the promises it made during the last assembly and Lok Sabha polls, Kejriwal said, it is upto the people to decided on whom to choose.
"They (the BJP) said they will bring down electricity tariff by 30 per cent, but they increased it by 15 per cent. Prime Minister says he has a bulb, which can help save Rs 300 per year, which comes down to Rs 25 every month. We reduced the electricity tariff by half. Now it is up to the peope to decide on whom to choose.
"The Prime Minister says by 2022 everyone will have a pucca house. But whenever the BJP government comes, they demolish the jhuggis...in Rangpuri, Wazirpur, Okhla and Vasant Kunj they did the same thing. So will these people wait for seven more years to have a pucca house," Kejriwal said.
He said Modi failed to answer a number of questions related to registration of unauthorised colonies and statehood.
Taking a jibe at BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his comments that women should have four babies, he said, "They say women should have four kids. Are women baby producing machines? They said women should not wear jeans".
"What about the security of women. After the BJP came to power at the Centre women have never felt so insecured," Kejriwal claimed.
He alleged that the Centre was planning to reduce the retirement age of government employees and the BJP government in Haryana has already done that.
"They (the Central government employees) should understand that after becoming the chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal will fight for them.
...not only for them but also for regularising the unauthorised colonies, slashing the electricity tariff, and for women's security," he added.
Earlier Report
Modi's poll pitch in Delhi; targets 'anarchist' Kejriwal
New Delhi, Jan 10 (PTI): Kickstarting BJP's poll campaign for Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wooed voters with a host of promises as he singled out 'anarchist' AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for attack and asked people to punish him for "wasting" one year.
Without naming Kejriwal or his party, Modi said at a rally here that if the AAP leader wants to be an "anarchist" as he has claimed to be, he should go to jungles to join naxals as Delhi cannot have anarchy. Kejriwal had said about a year ago that he is an "anarchist".
During the 30-minute address, he suggested that Kejriwal has "mastery" in "lies" and dharnas and protests and should be given that role only and that power should be given to BJP which has "mastery" in administration.
At the rally at Ramlila Ground attended by all three new BJP Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, Modi sought a clear mandate for his party to ensure allround development and create a "new" Delhi.
Delhi, which is under President's Rule, is expected to have Assembly polls next month.
Promising to take Delhi to new heights of development, the Prime Minister said people here will be given an option of choosing their power service provider on the lines of mobile number portability and pledged to make Delhi slum-free by 2022.
He also promised to usher in a corruption-free system, saying it has been started at the top and gradually it will reach down to colonies.
In a apparent reference to Kejriwal's comment made almost a year back that he was an anarchist, Modi said "if somebody is an anarchist, he should go to the jungles and join the naxals. Do not allow Delhi's pride to be affected by anarchy. Delhi will not benefit from it."
Apparently referring to resignation by Kejriwal government on February 14 last year after being in power for 49 days, he said, "people should punish those because of whom one year of Delhi was wasted."
Committing to provide a corruption-free society, Modi said he already commenced the cleansing from the top and asked if anyone has heard any complaint about him ever since he took over as Prime Minister some seven months back.
"Trust me, I will clean up the system. I have started from the top and I will take it to the bottom. People take money from auto drivers, shopkeeper, the poor people...It will all stop," the Prime Minister said.
Reaching out to the vast slum population, he promised to replace the slums with concrete houses by 2022, saying "your dream is my dream." He said steps have already been initiated in this regard by the Urban Development Ministry.
While talking about schemes benefitting the poor, he referred to Jan Dhan and said bankers, who earlier used to be reluctant to open accounts of the people from lower economic strata, are now going house-to-house to open zero-balance accounts.
"So far 11 crore accounts have been opened as against the target of 7 crore by January 26," he said adding though people had an option of opening zero-balance accounts, Rs 8,500 crore were deposited by them. In Delhi alone, 19.50 lakh accounts were opened under the scheme," he said.
Taking a dig at the Congress over its claim of standing by the poor, he said "who was running government for the rich and who is running government for the poor has been proved by the Jan Dhan scheme."
Promising 24 hour power supply to Delhi, Modi said he will rid the city of generators which will also ensure a cleaner environment. "We will shut the voice of generators in Delhi. It will also help clean up the air by reducing poisonous gases."
He said BJP was all set to take some "revolutionary steps" in Delhi which no one can even think of and talked about portability of choosing power service providers on the line of mobile number portability.
Assuring to end water woes in Delhi, he said BJP-ruled Haryana has promised to provide more water to Delhi after Central intervention.
He also hailed people of Jammu and Kashmir for coming out in large numbers and defeat the separatist forces.
Modi termed Amit Shah as the "most successful" party president as under his leadership party has achieved unprecedented success in various states.
Without naming anybody, the Prime Minister said a "factory of lies" has come up in the city and rumours are being spread that if BJP comes to power, the retirement age of government employees will be reduced from the current 60 to 58 years.
He said those spreading lies cannot be defeated by anybody except the people and asked the voters to do so.
"The government never thought about it and never spoke about it. And still a lie is being spread. Every day a new lie is being manufactured. Spreading lies is their job and their politics. Modi can never back stab anyone...Elect a good government in Delhi. Give us a clear mandate," he told the gathering.
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