Kejriwal's work 'aapda' for BJP; talk of 'Sheeshmahal' doesn't suit PM Modi: AAP supremo

New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal returned favours to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "aapda" and "Sheeshmahal" jibes on Friday, saying the BJP is faced with disaster ("aapda" in Hindi) in Delhi as it has no chief ministerial face, narrative or issue for the upcoming Assembly polls in the capital.

After Modi's speech earlier in the day at Delhi's Ashok Vihar, Kejriwal hit back at him at a press conference for saying that instead of building a "Sheeshmahal" for himself, he worked to fulfil the dream of four crore people in the country to have a "pucca" house.

"The talk of Sheeshmahal does not behove a person who has built a Rs 2,700-crore house for himself, travels in a Rs 8,400-crore airplane and wears a Rs 10-lakh suit," Kejriwal said, reiterating the opposition's charges against Modi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to corner Kejriwal by dubbing the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow earlier occupied by him as the Delhi chief minister as "Sheeshmahal" for the alleged expensive household amenities in it.

Kejriwal said he does not want to get into a blame game as he has never indulged in "abusive politics and personal attacks".

While inaugurating various development projects, including 1,675 EWS flats for slum dwellers, Modi blew the poll bugle in a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Kejriwal, calling the ruling party in Delhi "aapda" (disaster) for the city.

"In his 43-minute speech, Modi only abused the people of Delhi and the elected government that enjoys a huge mandate given to it by them, but could not mention anything done by the BJP-led Centre for the city," Kejriwal said.

The former chief minister asserted that Delhi is facing "aapda" of "breakdown" in law and order and people are demanding safety and security, but neither Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah is listening to them.

"I want to request Modiji to ask Amit Shahji to pay attention to resolving law-and-order issues, instead of breaking political parties and poaching opposition leaders," he said.

The AAP supremo took a dig at the BJP, saying it is facing "aapda" in Delhi as it lacks a chief ministerial face, narrative and issue for the Assembly polls in the capital due in February.

The work done by Kejriwal appears to be a "disaster" to the BJP but the same is like blessings for the people of Delhi, the AAP national convenor asserted.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Atishi at the press conference, Kejriwal spoke about the work done by the AAP government in Delhi.

"We have a government that works for people rather than laying foundation stones at the time of elections," he said, taking dig at the projects inaugurated by Modi.

Atishi also took a jibe at the prime minister, saying he could have built 30 universities if the Delhi government could come up with three and could have developed 5,000 mohalla clinics in comparison to the 550 set by the AAP. "Maybe then he would have something to count instead of abusing us," she said.

Kejriwal said Delhi is a half state divided between the city government and the Centre. In 2014, the BJP came to power at the Centre and the AAP formed its government in Delhi, he pointed out.

"The prime minister came after 10 years only to lay foundation stones for three educational institutions, while the AAP government, in the same period, has constructed 22,000 classrooms, three new universities, six new university campuses and 11 vocational colleges," he claimed.

Kejriwal also sought to downplay the handing over of possession of the 1,675 EWS flats to slum dwellers at Modi's programme, saying the BJP's manifesto for the 2020 Delhi polls had promised to provide "pucca" houses to slum dwellers by 2022.

"In five years, they have only built 4,700 houses. There is a need of 15 lakh houses in Delhi and the speed with which the BJP is working, it will fulfil its promise in 200 years," he said.

The AAP supremo also accused the BJP of being an "enemy" of the poor, saying the party caused the demolition of 2,700 slums and rendered more than two lakh people homeless.

"If the BJP comes to power, it will demolish all the slums in Delhi," he claimed.

Kejriwal also slammed the BJP for allegedly "betraying" Purvanchalis from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who are settled in Delhi's unplanned colonies.

"I remember, perhaps it was December 5, 2020, when (Union minister) Hardeep Puriji promised the people of Delhi, especially the Purvanchali community, that before 2019, they would grant ownership rights to 40 lakh people living in unplanned colonies," he said.

So far, only 25,000 people have been given property-ownership rights in these colonies and now, it is being said that whatever the BJP promises, it never fulfils, he charged.

During the press conference, Kejriwal assured a person, who claimed being turned down by hospitals, of the best possible medical treatment.

In reply to Modi's charge that the AAP government has blocked the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in Delhi, the former chief minister said, "Our only goal is the welfare of the people of Delhi. If a central government scheme benefits the common man in Delhi, we will implement it." He, however, claimed that the Ayushman Bharat scheme has certain riders, unlike the healthcare scheme of the AAP government in Delhi. PTI SJJ VIT RC