Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Kejriwal breaks silence, says Oppn targeting them

- Sweta Goswami sweta.goswami@hindustant­imes.com

NEW DELHI: As Delhi police searched his residence in connection to the alleged assault on chief secretary Anshu Prakash, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal left his house to reach out to his voters.

Kejriwal then went to attend an event to celebrate the birth anniversar­y of Sant Gadge Maharaj where he spoke about the achievemen­ts of Delhi government and criticised BJP and Congress for disrupting developmen­t works in the National Capital.

“We are defeated only on one count, that we do not know how to do politics,” he said, while refraining from directly talking about the chief secretary’s ‘assault’ case.

In his close to an hour-long speech at Bindapur in Uttam Nagar, which has a number of unauthoris­ed colonies — a key vote base of the Aam Aadmi Party— Kejriwal alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party and his government were victims of a negative campaignin­g by the opposition.

“The rich didn’t vote for me, the poor did. Our party is also poor, we don’t even have money in our bank account. We did not take any money from contractor­s. AAP is not Kejriwal’s party, this is your party,” he said.

He listed out the works done in the last three years for the urban poor and tried to convince the audience of the intention of the AAP government. “I fight for you, the people. I have never done anything for my own children,” he said.

Criticisin­g the Centre, the L-G and the bureaucrac­y, Kejriwal said the files of several projects remain stuck with either the L-G or the bureaucrac­y for months, stalling work.

“If we say anything to officers, they get offended. I will fight the Centre and their officers for you. I fight a lot but only for all of you and your children. Sometimes the Lieutenant Governor, sometimes officers, sometimes the Centre stops our files,” he said.

“I have told my ministers that make two roads less, but focus on the basics which is making every child in Delhi educated. So, the Delhi government has made education for all your children free up till standard 12,” he added.

Later, Kejriwal also expressed concerns over Delhi’s governance through Twitter.

“Officers not attending meetings for last 3 days. Governance suffering. I m v concerned. LG assured he will take all steps to ensure officers started functionin­g normally. Council of ministers assured him all cooperatio­n. All of us need to work together for betterment of Delhi,” he said.

 ?? RAJ K RAJ/HT PHOTO ?? Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after meeting Delhi LG Anil Baijal on Friday.
RAJ K RAJ/HT PHOTO Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after meeting Delhi LG Anil Baijal on Friday.

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