AAP, Congress accuse BJP govt. of reneging on key electoral promises after 100 days of staying in power
'All they have done is dismantle AAP's welfare schemes,' AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said, citing the alleged halting of the Farishtey scheme under which accident victims were treated free of cost at private hospitals, and the closure of Mohalla Clinics.
'They promised free LPG cylinders during Holi and Deepavali. Holi is over, and not one free cylinder has been distributed. Instead of lowering prices to ₹500 as promised, they have hiked them by ₹50,' he said.
In a letter to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Mr. Bharadwaj said AAP MLAs had compiled a '100-day report card' after speaking with Delhi residents. 'The public is suffering. Power cuts are frequent, electricity prices have surged, school fees are rising arbitrarily, and water supply is deteriorating,' he said.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav echoed the criticism, and said, 'A green and healthy Delhi under Sheila Dikshit was made sick in AAP's first term, sent to the ICU in the second, and now the BJP has put it on a ventilator within 100 days.'
In response, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, 'The previous AAP government announced a women pension scheme while presenting the 2024-25 budget in Delhi, but never implemented it.'
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Hindustan Times
29 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta's security cover may be enhanced
The Delhi Police on Wednesday said senior officers in the Centre will be reviewing Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta's security arrangements and might enhance it, following a physical assault by a 41-year-old man during a 'Jan Sunwai (public hearing)' grievance redressal programme in the morning. Delhi Police said no frisking is done for the Jan Sunwai programme. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) Currently, the chief minister is accorded the Z-plus security cover, with police officers suggesting it might be upgraded to have 'more personnel' or enhanced arrangements. A senior police officer, not wishing to be named, said, 'While the local police will be looking into the case, we will also look into possible lapses behind the incident. The security unit has been roped in. We might also suggest changes in her security arrangements, especially when she meets public people on the ground and for other meetings.' The accused, a resident of Rajkot, Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai Sakriya, has been arrested by the Delhi Police and is being interrogated by multiple departments. He has been booked for attempted murder. Police said Khimjibhai managed to pose as a local and approached the CM on the pretext of handing over a piece of paper, but then held her hands, manhandled her, and assaulted her. Police said the Union ministry of home affairs will decide on the security cover and enhancements. Police will submit current case details, requirements and potential threat, if any. As per protocol, MHA follows the Yellow Book rules, which specify different types of security cover for ministers, VIPs, and VVIPs. While the MHA had accorded the CM Z category cover initially, her security cover was upgraded to Z-plus, which involves more than 40 personnel, including escorts, static guards, CAPF personnel, commandos, watchers, and security for the convoy. As per norms, all sitting Delhi CMs are provided with Z category, but the arrangements can be upgraded after review. 'Since she is at Z-plus cover, the number of personnel can be increased to even 65, with more commandos and watchers. Their arrangements can be changed. Also, further upgrade can also mean advanced recce by personnel at every place she visits, her home, her office etc,' the officer cited above said. The attack took place at the recently inaugurated Jan Sewa Sadan in Civil Lines. In July, the CM shifted to the Raj Niwas Marg, which includes a camp office that has been turned into a Jan Sewa Sadan. 'We will also have to review the deployment of personnel at her private (Shalimar Bagh) as well as official residence,' a second police officer said. After the threat perception review, the matter is put up in front of the MHA, which will decide on the security cover. At present, former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also has a Z-plus category security cover. Police said they will be reviewing deployment and arrangements inside and outside the Civil Lines bungalow. A third officer, posted in the area, said, 'We will also have to see how frisking and screening is done at the bungalow. As per our knowledge, the Jan Sunwai meetings are open for all and no such frisking and checking was done. While the accused was not armed, there is threat as the CM was assaulted in front of a crowd. The accused managed to attack her and cause harm. We will have to submit a report. We will also have to ensure that none of the security arrangements disturb the CM in fulfilling her duties.' The accused was also spotted at her Shalimar Bagh residence, taking videos of the house and conducting recce, said the police. Police said the recce was conducted 24 hours before the attack.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
New bills will ensure morality, probity: BJP
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said the three bills moved by union home minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha that seek the removal of the Prime Minister or chief ministers facing corruption or serious offences if they remain in detention for 30 consecutive days, are intended at ensuring 'morality and probity' in public life. Proceedings of the Lok Sabha underway during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday.(Sansad TV/ANI) The party also underlined how its own leaders, from LK Advani to Amit Shah, had stepped down from their positions when they faced allegations of 'corruption and other charges.' 'When the bill was first drafted the PM's office was kept out of the ambit, but PM Modi insisted that the bill should include the head of the union government as well. Where is the question of any political witch hunt?The provisions of the bills are in line with the anti corruption agenda and will apply to all equally,' said a senior party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity. A second party functionary said that the Congress and other opposition parties should 'clearly state the reasons for their opposition to the bill…and whether they support a government being run from behind the bars,' While the opposition joined forces to criticise the bills, dubbing them as undemocratic and against the tenets of federalism -- they see this as a way for the BJP to topple state governments -- the BJP asserted that the move was line with the government's anti corruption agenda and not intended as a tool for vendetta. Amid disruption and protest by the opposition, Shah introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025. The bill seeks to remove the Prime Minister or chief ministers facing corruption or serious offence charges if they remain in detention for 30 consecutive days. He also introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025; since there is no provision under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) for such a measure, Section 54 of the Act, needs to be amended to provide a legal framework for the removal of the Chief Minister or a minister in these cases. And he introduced the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which extends the same law to UTs. Senior BJP leaders explained that the bills which have been referred to a joint parliamentary committee that will present its report on the first day of the next session will ensure there is no recurrence of events where a minister or a CM, refused to step down even as charges were framed against them. A third senior party leader, cited the example of former Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal who was in prison for nearly six months in 2024 in the corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the excise policy 'scam', as an example of impropriety. 'There was this case of a sitting CM who was in jail and on August 15, another leader had to step in to unfurl the National Flag… it was against public morality,' added the third leader. On the timing of the Bill, the second leader said the government had thought of bringing the bill soon after Kejriwal's arrest, but decided against it, because it did not want the opposition to paint it as 'a political move to remove Kejriwal'. 'It was about the system and not the individual…' the leader said. He said there have been numerous instances where leaders who were accused of graft and other irregularities had stepped down pending a probe. 'When the Hawala Diaries were made public and LK Advani's name was mentioned, he stepped down as the party president and resigned from his Lok Sabha membership… Shah himself stepped down as minister in Gujarat and more recently Jharkhand CM, Hemant Soren stepped down as CM when he was arrested, and much earlier Lalu Prasad Yadav had to step down as Bihar CM when he was accused of the fodder scam,' the leader said. In 2024, Soren stepped down as CM following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case. He went on to say that Shah did not accept any constitutional position till he was acquitted by the court in 2015. 'He could have become union minister or a Rajya Sabha member in 2014 itself, but he chose not to. He became the minister in 2017…' Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Shah referred to his own decision to step down as the home minister of Gujarat till he was cleared of all charges by the courts 'False allegations were levelled against me, and I resigned on moral grounds, and I did not take any constitutional posts until I was cleared of all charges by the courts,' Shah said. The BJP also stepped up its attack on the Congress, pointing out that the party, when it was in power, had attempted to amend the Office of Profit bill to seek exemption for the post of NAC chairperson Sonia Gandhi and several other posts from its ambit. 'When Sonia Gandhi had to resign for holding an office of profit the party tried to amend the provisions. Instead of leading by example and walking the talk on probity and public morality they chose to alter the rules,' the first leader quoted above said. In 2006, Gandhi had to resign as Lok Sabha MP after being accused of holding an office of profit by being a Member of Parliament as well as the Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, which was a post with the rank of a Cabinet minister. Responding to a question whether the government was confident of getting the numbers to pass the bill, the second leader said, 'We don't have the numbers, but we decided to send it to the JPC so that there can be discussion on the bill…Let the opposition stall its passage and explain to the people why they did so.' The BJP also dismissed the opposition's claims that the provisions were violative of the constitution. Responding to AIMIM chief Asasduddin Owaisi's charge that the bills violate the principle of separation of powers and undermine the right of the people to elect a government, the second leader said the bills state that the offences should carry a jail term of five years or more, which implies it will be implemented only in serious cases. 'Thirty days is sufficient time for the courts to consider and pass judgment…the bill also says that the dismissed minister or CM can be appointed again after their release. Where does it undermine the democratic process?'
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
AAP launches ‘Chori ki Shikayat Dein' campaign against BJP
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday launched its 'Chori ki Shikayat Dein' (register complaints of theft) campaign, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of 'stealing votes' in the Delhi Assembly election and cheating people by 'not fulfilling' the poll promise. 'We are launching 'Chori ki Shikayat Dein' campaign against the Centre. It has now been six months of the BJP's rule in Delhi, and women voters are feeling cheated. The first theft was of votes. BJP won the Delhi Assembly election by deleting genuine voters' names and creating fake votes,' alleged AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj. Mr. Bharadwaj alleged that during the election campaign, the BJP 'distributed sarees and money' to people in return for their vote. 'BJP made the first promise of giving ₹1,100 per month to women and then promised ₹2,500 per month. They promised LPG cylinders for ₹500. Along with that, they distributed sarees, money, gold chains, shoes and bedsheets. This is how they stole votes,' he said. The AAP leader said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to transfer ₹2,500 to women's bank accounts on March 8 if the BJP forms the government in Delhi. 'But till now, not a single woman has received this amount. This means the ₹2,500 due to women has been stolen. Women are filing complaints of this ₹ 2,500 theft,' he said.
