Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday called upon slum dwellers to “liberate” Delhi from AAP rule in the February 5 Assembly polls.
Addressing the ‘Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan’ at JLN stadium, Shah promised that no welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped and every slum dweller will be provided a house if the BJP comes to power.
“I have come today to tell you that you can become the liberator of Delhi. You can liberate Dilli from this aapda (disaster)… on February 5, you have to get freedom from the insensitive government… lying government. Throwing out AAP is the only way to ensure welfare of slum dwellers of Delhi,” Shah said.
Citing shortage of drinking water and sewers, and heaps of garbage in the slum clusters of the city, he added, “If you open the tap, there is dirty water. If you open the window, there is foul smell. If you go out, there are broken roads.”
Repeatedly referring to the AAP government as ‘aapda’, he accused the party of turning Delhi into “hell”.
Shah greeted the gathering on the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya with a loud chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
“We promised to build a temple for Ram Lalla, and we fulfilled it. We built toilets, and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji has provided housing to the poor of the country. (AAP national convenor Arvind) Kejriwalji did not. And now this is Modiji’s guarantee – BJP will give houses to every slum dweller in the country,” he said.
Maintaining that no welfare scheme for the poor will be discontinued if BJP comes to power, Shah said, “The BJP does not stop any scheme for the welfare of the poor, it only increases them (in number).”
“I want to reiterate what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said earlier that no welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped,” he said, accusing Kejriwal of spreading “lies” that the BJP will demolish the city’s slums if it came to power.
Pointing to Union government health insurance schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Shah said that Kejriwal’s resistance towards the implementation of such schemes has made Delhi residents suffer.
Shah alleged that the AAP, which had come to power after the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, has instead become synonymous with
corruption. “Those who agitated against corruption, who came to power by putting forward a saint like Anna (Hazare), indulged in so much corruption that they broke records of all governments of the country,” he said.
Taking a jibe at Kejriwal, Shah said that the former chief minister prioritises power over public welfare.
“If there is only one chief minister who does not resign even after going to jail, it is Kejriwal. He will not leave power. We will have to make him leave power,” he told the gathering.
Shah concluded his address by again reiterating BJP’s commitment to welfare schemes. “I want to say it again, not even a single poor welfare scheme is going to be stopped, you should not fall prey to their deception… The BJP does what it says, and it says only what it can do.”
Under its ‘Revdi pe charcha’ campaign, AAP volunteers had visited areas across the Capital, informing residents that the BJP intends to discontinue their welfare schemes, if the party come to power.
Responding to Shah’s address, Kejriwal said, “Today, Amit Shahji abused me and the people of Delhi a lot. The people of
Delhi will answer this in the elections. Amitji told a lot of lies to the slum dwellers. Tomorrow morning, I will hold a press conference from a slum, which they (BJP) have planned to demolish after the elections. I will exposethe dirty intentions of BJP with full evidence.”
The event was marked by grand preparations. The roads leading to the stadium were lined with life-size cut-outs of Shah, Modi, and BJP national president J P Nadda.
At the main entrance, men dressed in black kurtas played nagadas and bugles, while others beat dhols. Attendees entered the stadium after clickingphotographs in front of a poster of the PM at a specially-arranged selfie booth.
Inside, women in sarees welcomed the attendees — slum pradhans and members of BJP’s Pooja Samiti — with chandan tilaks and party badges.
Stay informed with access to our award-winning journalism.
Avoid misinformation with trusted, accurate reporting.
Make smarter decisions with insights that matter.
