NEW DELHI: Accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of speaking Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s language, Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday claimed the ruling AAP was behind engineering riots in the city over the amended citizenship law and the national capital will be unsafe if they are voted back to power.
He also hit out at Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who told a TV channel that he stood with Shaheen Bagh protesters, and said the AAP has worked to disrupt peace in the city.
In his double-barrel attack, Shah also hit out at the Congress and said they have opposed every decision abrogation of Article 370, banning triple talaq, building Ram Temple the Modi government has taken so far.
Addressing a rally in Matiala in west Delhi, Shah said, “Many a time Rahul baba (Rahul Gandhi) gives a statement. Kejriwal also gives a statement. Immediately, Pakistan prime minister gives a statement. “If you see their statements on YouTube, you will find similarity in them. I always think, what is the relation between them. What Rahul baba and Kejriwal say, Imran Khan says the same.”
He also accused the two of instigating the youth and minorities in the national capital, which saw a wave of violent protests last month over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Attacking the AAP, Shah said, “Delhi will not be safe if these people come to power. Those who want to engineer riots have no right to remain in power.” He later addressed a roadshow in Uttam Nagar in west Delhi and a rally in Nangloi Jat in northwest Delhi.
Shah also took an aim at the two parties for backing the “tukde tukde gang” of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, a reference to Left-leaning intellectuals and students of the varsity. The BJP in the past has targeted the AAP for not giving sanction to prosecute former JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case. Shah took on the Delhi government and Kejriwal over issues ranging from “unclean” drinking water to not fulfilling promises of giving free WiFi and stalling the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
“If there is a competition in the country of making false promises, Kejriwal would definitely get the first prize. I have come to remind you that you forgot the promises you made, but neither the people of Delhi nor BJP workers have forgotten. “Your vote will decide whether you want a government like that of Modi ji which works or one who constantly stages protests,” he said.
Shah also listed out the work done by the Modi government for Delhi, like regularising 1,731 unauthorised colonies. He said if the BJP is voted to power, the party will implement 112 central government schemes that will benefit people.
The home minister said for four and a half years the chief minister kept saying ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not let him work so development could not be done in Delhi’.
“Now, you (Kejriwal) are saying you developed Delhi in five years so ‘lage raho Kejriwal,” he added. On providing clean drinking water, Shah said Kejriwal announced a similar scheme three days after Prime Minister Modi announced it from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the Independence Day last year.
Shah alleged the national capital currently gets “unclean” water. But if the BJP is voted to power, Delhi will get water as clean as bottled one. Taking a dig at Kejriwal, Shah said after the AAP’s victory in 2015, the party lost polls in Punjab, Haryana, local body polls. “Delhi has defeated you everytime,” Shah said. PTI