Whether taxpayers' money be spent on public welfare or one's friends: Kejriwal demands referendum

New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday demanded that a referendum be held on whether the taxpayers' money be spent on providing good education, healthcare service and other facilities to people or on one's family and friends.

Demand from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Panipat that "freebies" impede India's effort to become self-reliant and also burden taxpayers.

"I demand that there should be a referendum in this country on whether the public money should be spent on one's family or one's friends, or it should be spent on providing facilities to common people like building good schools, good hospitals and roads," he said in a video message without taking any names.

In a veiled attack at the BJP leadership, Kejriwal alleged that an atmosphere is being created in the country to create a perception among people that the country will suffer losses if the governments provide free facilities to masses.

"What is the job of the governments then?" he asked, saying it will be cheating with the people if they are not given facilities commensurate with the amount of tax they pay.

The taxpayers aren't cheated when their children get good education and healthcare services, he contended.

"They are, indeed, cheated when politicians use their money to settle loans for their friends," he added.

Kejriwal claimed that taxpayers are "feeling cheated" today as they can see their money being spent on "a few friends of powerful people".

The country would not have been facing an economic crisis today, had the government not written off bank loans worth Rs 10 lakh crore, he said in an apparent attack on the Modi government. PTI VIT AKM PK CK