While addressing the budget session in the assembly on Saturday Delhi’s CM Arvind Kejriwal praised the finance minister Atishi for catering to all sectors and all sections of the society.
Atishi, the Finance minister of Delhi on 4th March presented a ₹76,000 crore budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 under the theme of Ram Rajya.
Under the budget, the Delhi government announced Rs. 1000 to be given to all women above 18, to woo Delhi’s 6.7 million women voters.
Kejriwal presented the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a direct rival of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the approaching Lok Sabha elections, pointing out that while both parties came to power at roughly the same time, their styles of governing differed.
“The AAP model is that of Vikas (development) and their (BJP’s) model is of Vinash (destruction),” he said.
BJP using federal agencies for political advantage
BJP uses central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to crush the opposing political parties, it’s governance model is based on destruction, said the AAP Chief Kejriwal.
Kejriwal asserted that the BJP constantly tries to overthrow opposition parties, while the AAP and other parties strive for the welfare of the people. He said they are active in overthrowing governments and driving out opposition parties.
BJP is buying MLAs from other political parties by paying huge sums of money to them, Kejriwal claimed.
“Rs.25 crore to each MLA in Goa, MP, Arunachal Pradesh, and now they are going to topple Himachal Pradesh government. Their strategy is to put the entire opposition in jail,” AAP chief said.
Kejriwal accused the BJP of using federal agencies for their political agendas and crushing the opposition parties, he said, “If Lord Ram existed in this era, they (BJP) would send the ED and the CBI to his home too and asked him at gunpoint whether he wanted to go to the BJP or jail.”
In response to the BJP’s assertion that it wants to win 370 seats in the Lok Sabha, Kejriwal stated that the 1.4 billion people in the nation do not need to support the BJP.
“They are going to win 370 because there will be no one in opposition. Hitler had done the same thing. He did it in three months, they took 10 years. They are destroying democracy. It is the betrayal of the country and amounts to sedition,” Kejriwal said
Expressing his confidence in the National Democratic Alliance, PM Modi said NDA will get more than 400 seats, with the BJP winning at least 370 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
ED summons for Kejriwal
On Monday, Kejriwal declined the eighth ED summons to appear in person for questioning regarding purported irregularities in the now-canceled 2021–22 Delhi excise policy case, while simultaneously writing to the federal agency to indicate his willingness to appear in person via video conference following March 12.
AAP leader Sanjay Singh and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia are already incarcerated in relation to the excise issue.
Kejriwal taking a jab at the opposition said, “They have sent me eight summons and are going to send the ninth as if Arvind Kejriwal is the biggest terrorist in the country. The more summons you send, the more schools I will construct. In response to eight summons, I will construct eight new schools.”
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Kejriwal urged the voters to cast their ballots in favor of AAP in the coming elections.
The budget was praised by AAP MLAs and ministers who participated in the discussions.
In the meantime, the Delhi assembly’s budget session was postponed to March 15. Dilip Pandey, the chief whip for the AAP in the assembly, announced that the meeting had been adjourned to address concerns and grievances about the Delhi Jal Board.
Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the leader of the opposition in the Delhi legislature, criticised Kejriwal for the ED summons. “Arvind Kejriwal has been doing everything in his power to evade the ED’s summons due to his involvement in the excise scam.” Why is he attempting to avoid being questioned and why is he reluctant to appear before the ED if he hasn’t committed any scams? stated Bidhuri.
“From the day the AAP government implemented the excise policy in October 2021, I have been saying that rules were violated and irregularities were committed by them. Kejriwal should stop misleading the people on the excise issue, and appear before the ED,” said Bidhuri.
In the run-up to the legislative elections, Budhuri, the BJP’s candidate for the South Delhi Lok Sabha seat, claimed the AAP budget is nothing more than a series of fabrications and mathematical manipulations. Additionally, he said that BJP MLAs were prohibited from speaking in the House on any topic.
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