Thursday, June 18, 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

    Modi gets grand welcome in Delhi, propitiates gods in Varanasi

    Modi gets grand welcome in Delhi, propitiates gods in Varanasi
    Thousands of BJP supporters gave a rousing welcome Saturday to Narendra Modi, set to be India's prime minister, as he flew into Delhi and set out in a motorcade to the party headquarters.

    Modi gets grand welcome in Delhi, propitiates gods in Varanasi

    Rathore the biggest winner among sportspersons, Kaif loses badly

    Rathore the biggest winner among sportspersons, Kaif loses badly
    Olympic silver medal winning shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won his maiden Lok Sabha election Friday on a BJP ticket by a huge margin while cricketer Mohammed Kaif, who contested on a Congress ticket, lost by a massive margin.

    Rathore the biggest winner among sportspersons, Kaif loses badly

    Nita Ambani to join Reliance Industries board

    Nita Ambani to join Reliance Industries board
    Nita Ambani, wife of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, is set to join the board of India's largest private company, it was announced Friday. The share-holder approval will be sought at the annual general meeting here June 18.

    Nita Ambani to join Reliance Industries board

    Manmohan Singh congratulates Modi, to resign Saturday

    Manmohan Singh congratulates Modi, to resign Saturday
    Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday congratulated BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for leading his party to victory in the Lok Sabha election.

    Manmohan Singh congratulates Modi, to resign Saturday

    Sonia, Rahul take responsibility for Congress' worst defeat

    Sonia, Rahul take responsibility for Congress' worst defeat
    Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday took responsibility for the party's worst drubbing in the national election, but did not give credit to Narendra Modi for the BJP victory.

    Sonia, Rahul take responsibility for Congress' worst defeat

    Everything You Wanted to Know About Narendra Modi's Historic Win

    Everything You Wanted to Know About Narendra Modi's Historic Win
    In a historic election that would could have far-reaching implications for India's polity and its policies, Narendra Modi, a rank outsider to Delhi's politics, was poised to become the 14th prime minister of this diverse nation of 1.2 billion people

    Everything You Wanted to Know About Narendra Modi's Historic Win