New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the BJP and the civic bodies administered by it of making Delhi the "garbage capital of India" and claimed that the Ghazipur landfill will soon cross the height of Taj Mahal.
Hitting back, Member of Parliament and former Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel said it is Kejriwal who talks about two models of governance but forgot that the AAP government has turned Delhi into a "hell".
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said, "The BJP and the MCD have made Delhi the garbage capital of India, with open 'dhalaos' (community dustbins) and garbage dumped in every nook and corner of the city."
It a matter of shame for Delhi that it is at the bottom of the rankings in the Swachh Bharat Mission, Kejriwal said while highlighting the inconvenience that the garbage dump in Ghazipur is causing to the people of the city.
"The biggest gift of the BJP to Delhi is the garbage and waste mountain in Ghazipur, which is expected to cross the height of the Taj Mahal in Agra. What is more worrisome is the fact that only 40 per cent of the garbage in Delhi is processed," the chief minister said.
Kejriwal presented the MCD report card to the media, comparing the statistics of various sectors under the civic bodies and the Delhi government, and highlighting the loopholes in the workings of the corporations across education, healthcare, sanitation, and other significant domains.
He said there are two models of governance in front of the people of Delhi, and they have to decide one is right for the city and the nation.
"First, I would like to put forth a difference in the education levels in primary schools of the MCD as well as the Delhi government senior secondary schools. On one hand, the MCD has shut down 109 schools in the last nine years, while on the other the Delhi government has opened 20,000 new classrooms in its schools in the last five years," he said.
The civic bodies have the most corrupt officials, Kejriwal alleged while describing the MCD as 'Most Corrupt Department'.
"And I am not the only. Also, I am not saying this without any relevance or proof," he said.
"Recently, when BJP leader Vijay Goel was asked to speak on the matter of corruption in the MCD, he replied 'Aap mujhse kahoge MCD kaisi hai. Mein kahoonga chor hai' (If you ask how is the MCD, I would reply it's a thief). Is this something to be proud of? The MCD has been under BJP for the last 15 years and it has done nothing to eliminate corruption from the department," Kejriwal said.
In the healthcare sector, Kejriwal alleged that no additional dispensary has been built in the civic bodies-run hospitals in the last seven years, while only one hospital was added to the list of existing hospitals in the city.
About the promises made by the BJP before winning the civic bodies elections, Kejriwal said, "I believe that not even one of them has been fulfilled."
Referring to the law and order situation in Delhi of late, Kejriwal made a snide remark alleging the Delhi Police was functioning along the same lines of the civic bodies.
"There are 90 per cent chances that a complaint will not be filed by the police in case of an emergency. You all have witnessed the attitude of the Delhi police in the last few days when the law and order situation is grave," he said.
"I have said this time and again, that the Delhi Police is not at fault in the law and order menace in Delhi. They are just following the orders from the above because they fear suspension from their duties," Kejriwal said.
When contacted, Delhi Police additional PRO, Anil Mittal clarified that Delhi Police has all along being a "professional force and has handled situation professionally as per its legal mandate".
"It is absolutely incorrect to suggest that it acts under any pressure whatsoever. It is also incorrect to suggest that complaints are not registered at police stations," he said.
On AAP's long pending demand of full statehood for Delhi, Kejriwal said full statehood of Delhi is what the people of the city want.
"The multiplicity of agencies is not favourable to anybody. I have been blamed several times regarding completion of maximum initiatives in the last one year of my tenure. But it is because, before this all the files used to go to the L-G office for approval," he said.
"The files were stuck because of political reasons, and when we got the authority of approving the files, everything including the construction of Mohalla clinics, installation of CCTV cameras, and others was completed," Kejriwal said.
Reacting to Kejriwal's allegation, BJP leader Goel claimed that Delhiites have rejected Kejriwal's model.
He reminded Kejriwal that AAP candidates badly lost civic bodies elections two years ago and five out of its seven candidates lost their security deposit in the Lok Sabha election.
"Today Kejriwal is levelling allegations against MCD but he forgets that he is equally responsible for this situation of MCD. Kejriwal should disclose details of his meetings with MCD and its commissioners and the developmental projects discussed in these meetings," Goel added.
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