Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday sharply criticized Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following his announcement that he would resign from his position in two days. BJP leaders questioned the timing of his decision and urged him to recommend the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly to face the electorate.
“Why now? What is the compulsion? Is there some brawl within the party?” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned during a press conference. “We are witnessing a new low in politics,” he added.
Trivedi further remarked, “You are the first CM whom the Supreme Court has condemned from going to the CM Office. The public has already shown you where you belong,” referring to the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
In a dramatic move on Sunday, just two days after being released from jail following bail granted by the Supreme Court in the 2021-22 excise policy case, Kejriwal announced he would step down as Chief Minister on September 17. He stated that the AAP legislative party would meet in the coming days to elect a new leader.
Trivedi criticized Kejriwal for allegedly violating his own government’s rules. “He is the first CM to come out of jail under his own party’s administration and still break a rule set by his own government,” he said, referencing a fireworks display by AAP supporters despite the Delhi government’s stance against it.
He also condemned Kejriwal’s comparisons of himself to freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh. “When Bhagat Singh’s photo was hung on the wall, even his family condemned it,” Trivedi asserted, accusing Kejriwal of “tarnishing the image” of Bhagat Singh by claiming to be his ideological successor. He criticized AAP ministers for visiting Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial on a dry day while being implicated in the alleged liquor scam. “You are tarnishing the image of those who sacrificed for the country,” he added.
BJP Delhi state president Virendra Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of misleading the public with false promises and corruption. “Your corruption spoiled Delhi,” he claimed, outlining several alleged failures: the deaths of 40-45 children due to sewage mismanagement, the addition of a 45% surcharge to electricity bills, water shortages despite promises of free water, and a sharp increase in the number of private water tankers from 1,200 to 3,000 under Kejriwal’s tenure.
Sachdeva alleged that instead of eliminating the “tanker mafia,” Kejriwal encouraged it. He also pointed to what he described as the collapse of Delhi’s health services, claiming that over 50% of government ICU centers are non-functional and appointments are delayed by years. “Tests are conducted 18,000 times on a single phone number just to collect commissions,” he alleged, adding that counterfeit medicines were being distributed in Delhi government hospitals.
He further accused Kejriwal’s ministers of turning the education sector into a business connected to the alcohol industry. “Your minister ran the education business with alcohol,” he said, pointing to alleged shortcomings in the so-called “education revolution.”
Questioning the cancellation of the excise policy, Sachdeva asked, “If you didn’t do a scam in the alcohol policy, why was it canceled the moment the investigation started?” He also accused Kejriwal of opening liquor shops near temples, mosques, and gurdwaras.
Sachdeva criticized the state of Delhi’s infrastructure, alleging deterioration under Kejriwal’s leadership. “Look at the condition of Delhi roads,” he said.
He also accused Kejriwal of taking bribes to halt the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) project and mentioned an alleged scam related to the panic button for women’s safety.
Sachdeva further alleged that Kejriwal received preferential treatment while in jail. “You were getting food from home in jail,” he said, contrasting this with the harsh conditions faced by others. He condemned Kejriwal for allegedly ill-treating a female Member of Parliament at his residence, an incident that Sachdeva claimed has left a permanent stain on his image.
Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal stated he would accept the Chief Minister’s post only if people certify his honesty in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. “We will go to the court of people to prove our innocence,” he said, demanding that the Delhi Assembly elections be held in November, ahead of the tentative schedule in February 2025.
