New Delhi: With barely a week to go for voting day in the national capital, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur has alleged that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress have a ‘tacit understanding’ and are trying to ‘fool’ voters of Delhi.
Speaking to ThePrint, Thakur who represents Hamirpur seat in Himachal Pradesh said the people have made up their mind to elect a BJP government this time. “I had raised a question a few days back as to why Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was hesitant to raise his voice against corrupt Kejriwal and AAP. Rahul Gandhi is double-dating in these elections, AAP and Congress have a tacit understanding and are fooling Delhiites.”
Coming down heavily on both Kejriwal and Gandhi, the former Union minister criticised them for ‘doubting’ the Balakot airstrike. “I had raised this important question earlier. By questioning the Indian Army they were playing in the hands of Pakistan and China. What is the intention of the AAP and Congress party? Why are they against the Indian Army?”
Thakur also argued that the only way to end the friction between the Lieutenant Governor and Delhi government was to elect the BJP. He added, “Elect a BJP government and there won’t be any blame game. We have not even seen such blame-games during the Sheila Dikshit government for 15 years. It never happened even during the Vajpayee government or even during the UPA government. It only started with the Aam Aadmi Party.
Invest in Trusted Journalism
Your support helps us deliver unbiased, on-the-ground reporting, in-depth interviews and insightful opinions that matter.
“One day before Republic Day he [Kejriwal] was sitting on dharna. He’s an anarchist, an urban-naxal. They are harming the country. All I’m trying to say is this blame game is happening only because of AAP. Throw them out, bring in BJP…”
Asked who is the BJP’s face against Kejriwal in Delhi, Thakur responded by saying: “Do you think Kejriwal is their face? So that means AAP doesn’t have even one honest person with a clean image to showcase as their CM face. The person who is out on bail, is the kingpin of the liquor scam and everything happened under his leadership, Delhiites will never pick someone who will lead or run the government from jail.”
“In the next five years, he can’t go to the CM office, he can’t take any decisions, he can’t sign a file, then why should Delhiites pick Arvind Kejriwal as their CM,” remarked Thakur.
The BJP has not announced any chief ministerial candidate and is banking on brand Modi.
The BJP MP also accused Delhi CM Atishi’s parents of fighting for the rights of Afzal Guru, the ‘Parliament attack mastermind’. “Why did they stand up with Afzal Guru who is a convict, who was part of the conspiracy for the Parliament attack. Atishi Marlena, the Aam Aadmi Party CM, her parents fought for the rights of Afzal Guru…for his bail.”
The Delhi polls are crucial for the BJP since it has been out of power in the national capital since 1998. Thakur acknowledged there have been shortcomings but said people were taken in by ‘false promises’ made by AAP. “People have given him [Kejriwal] enough opportunity. Five years back Arvind Kerjiwal said I could not clean the Yamuna and give me five years more people believed him but even today he can’t take a dip in the holy Yamuna. Why? Because Yamuna is not clean. He made promises to give Rs 1,000 to women but failed to deliver. He has failed on all fronts. Mohalla clinic is a sham as well as a big scam.”
Thakur also reiterated that contrary to what the AAP leaders have been claiming, all welfare schemes available to the people of Delhi will continue once BJP comes to power.
He did, however, argue there was a distinction between ‘freebies’ offered by AAP and the ‘welfare promises’ of the BJP. “The difference is that Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP believe in making false promises and not fulfilling them. On the other hand, the BJP government under PM Modi’s leadership has delivered right from house, toilets, portable water connections and the list goes on. If you look at the states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh we have given Rs 1,500 to women in their bank account successfully in the last several months whereas AAP has failed,” he told ThePrint.
Also Read: BJP hasn’t won these Delhi seats since 1993. How it plans to break the jinx this time
