BJP MLA O P Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAs have lunch near the CM’s office at the Delhi Assembly, Tuesday. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
The issue of the Lt Governor “not clearing” doorstep delivery of ration scheme erupted in the Delhi Assembly Tuesday, with L-G Anil Baijal and the BJP at the receiving end of a fierce attack by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who vowed to take the matter to the “people’s court” from next week.
The CM also used the occasion to raise traders’ woes in the wake of the ongoing sealing drive, and the PNB scam involving diamond merchant Nirav Modi. “I am going to Delhi’s slums starting next week. All my MLAs will go as well. We are going to tell people that BJP has stopped the proposal (doorstep delivery of ration) using the L-G… there are around 70 lakh PDS beneficiaries in Delhi. We will see who votes for you. People will teach you a lesson,” Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal claimed that despite meeting Baijal twice over the issue, he did not show the “basic courtesy” of informing him before turning down the proposal. The L-G has said he is not rejecting the scheme and that it should be referred to the Centre before a final decision is taken. “Even God will tick you off for not clearing Kejriwal’s proposal,” the CM said.
“Delhi has around 3,000 fair price shops. Half are run by BJP leaders and half by Congress, and this is where their problem is. It will put an end to their thievery,” he said, participating in the discussion over the Budget, which was passed later.
On sealing, he said the Centre has turned the issue into a “battle of ego”. Letting the situation fester will lead to unemployment, which may trigger law and order issues in the city, he said. On the row over depletion in water supply from Haryana, Kejriwal said, “They want people of Delhi to die of thirst.”
The CM, who has largely remained silent on national issues of late, began his speech by referring to the PNB scandal. “There’s an atmosphere of fear when it comes to banks. The Prime Minister should now perhaps tell people which is the safe place to deposit their money. During UPA government’s tenure, we had scams like 2G or coal. These days, we come across people looting banks and fleeing the country. They are not simply fleeing, they are actually being allowed to leave,” he said.