Monday, June 15, 2026
ADVT 
India

Arvind Kejriwal Flays 'Gujarat Model', Modi Government

The Canadian Press, 27 Apr, 2016 10:41 AM
    Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused the central government of trying to fail development work in Delhi and said people have been "cheated in the name of Gujarat model".
     
    Addressing the National Council of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kejriwal made one of his most scathing attacks on the Narendra Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
     
    "The world is appreciating the AAP government whereas the central government is trying its best to scuttle our efforts (to develop Delhi)," he said. 
     
    "But still, we are moving ahead and working for the people of Delhi."
     
    He detailed the achievements of the AAP government since taking power in February 2015 including providing "cheapest" and uninterrupted electricity.
     
    "Our opponents said we won't be able to supply uninterrupted power, that too on cheapest rates.
     
    "We are also providing 20,000 liters of water to each family for free. And in fact Delhi is saving huge amount of water."
     
    He said his government had waived off water bills totalling Rs.2,500 crore and would build 8,000 new classrooms within two months. 
     
    He said Delhi's 'Mohalla Clinics' of model clinics had brought free medicines and tests to people's doorsteps. Every clinic was built in just Rs.20 lakh. 
     
    "Even the US says they need to learn from Mohalla Clinics. By now, we have 100. The number will be 1,000 by year-end."
     
    Claiming no government had done in 10-15 years what his government had achieved in just over a year, he said: "This is happening because there is an honest government in Delhi. We are saving money in each project."
     
     
    In contrast, he accused the central government of building a flyover in Bihar for Rs.3,000 crore when its cost estimate was Rs.509 crore. This, he said, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
     
    Kejriwal said he visited Gujarat and found schools and healthcare there in a bad shape. 
     
    "Now everyone knows what the Gujarat model is. People have been cheated in the name of Gujarat model.
     
    "There is a Delhi model of governance and the Gujarat model. We invite everyone to compare the two models."
     
    The AAP leader accused the BJP and its allied groups of doing "gundagardi" in the name of making people say "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and threatening to beat up those who did not raise the slogan. 
     
    He said the tens of thousands who thronged the Ramlila Maidan here during Gandhian Anna Hazare's protest in 2011 chanted "Bharat Mata ki Jai" from their heart.
     
    "See what they are doing in Kashmir," he said, in an obvious reference to the clashes between Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri students at the National Institute of Technology in Srinagar. 
     
    He said the people of Delhi "are so happy that if elections happen today, 
    they won't win even a single seat".
     
    But he quickly added that the AAP's aim was not just to win elections.
     
    "We are here to change the system. We will fight to win. 
     
    "We will fight elections but before that we have to work hard. We have to fight to win 90 seats out of 100.
     
    "We will fight elections to make governments and change the system," he said, without outlining the AAP's long-term electoral plans beyond Punjab.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Two schoolgirls hung from same rope in Assam

    Two schoolgirls hung from same rope in Assam
    Two schoolgirls were hung from the two ends of the same rope from a tree in Assam's Karimganj district, a killing reminiscent of the Badaun gang-rape and murder in Uttar Pradesh.

    Two schoolgirls hung from same rope in Assam

    14 killed in landside in Rajouri, thousands flee homes in flood-ravaged Kashmir

    14 killed in landside in Rajouri, thousands flee homes in flood-ravaged Kashmir
    Jammu and Kashmir continued to reel under incessant downpour which continued for the fourth successive day Friday across both Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley, leading to at least 14 more deaths in Rajouri while thousands abandoned their homes and fled to safety.

    14 killed in landside in Rajouri, thousands flee homes in flood-ravaged Kashmir

    India, Australia ink deal on uranium exports, to boost defence ties

    India, Australia ink deal on uranium exports, to boost defence ties
    India and Australia Friday inked a long-awaited civil nuclear agreement to enable Australia to export uranium to energy-starved India and also agreed to step up their political, security and defence cooperation as visiting Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott held talks with his counterpart Narendra Modi here.

    India, Australia ink deal on uranium exports, to boost defence ties

    Modi reaches out to 500-million-plus audience on Teachers' Day

    Modi reaches out to 500-million-plus audience on Teachers' Day
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again demonstrated that he is a man of the masses as he addressed millions of students and teachers across the nation and took questions from them in a first-of-its-kind live mass contact event on Teachers’ Day, striking a chord with them as he laughed and chatted and recounted events from his childhood.

    Modi reaches out to 500-million-plus audience on Teachers' Day

    Canada leading international effort to develop standards for 'flushable wipes'

    Canada leading international effort to develop standards for 'flushable wipes'
    OTTAWA - Canada is leading an international work group to come up with an industry-wide standard on so-called flushable wipes.

    Canada leading international effort to develop standards for 'flushable wipes'

    Modi's mass contact with India's students on Teachers' Day

    Modi's mass contact with India's students on Teachers' Day
    In the first mass contact programme of its kind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact live with millions of young students and teachers across the nation...

    Modi's mass contact with India's students on Teachers' Day