Returning to Ramlila Maidan which witnessed the birth of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as he addressed the party’s ‘Maha’ rally against the Centre’s ordinance on control of services in the national capital.
Addressing the huge crowd that turned up in support of AAP’s campaign, Kejriwal termed the Centre’s ordinance as “dictatorial” and said today he is back on the ‘sacred stage’ to ‘oust a dictator from the country’.
“Twelve years ago, we were here to fight against corruption. This is a sacred stage. Today, we are back here to oust a dictator from the country…This is a movement to end dictatorship, to bring back democracy,” he said.
The ordinance issued by the Centre on May 19 set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority, bringing back executive control over matters related to services to its domain.
It was issued close on the heels of a Supreme Court verdict on May 11, through which the Delhi government was given the executive control over service-related matters, including transfers and postings of Delhi government officers but excluding those related to police, public order and land.
Attacking the BJP-led central government for passing the ordinance despite the apex court’s ruling in favour of the elected government, Kejriwal said, “The Supreme Court said that democracy, as well as the will of the people, is supreme. The elected government, irrespective of the party, should have the right to work. I want to ask, was the Supreme Court wrong? Should the prime minister adhere to the ruling? Modi Ji said he does not adhere to anyone. He passed an ordinance.”
“PM Modi’s ordinance says there will be a dictatorship in Delhi. It says the people are not supreme, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) is…People can vote for whoever they want, but the Centre will run Delhi,” he added.
Claiming that Delhi is the “first city to be attacked”, Kejriwal said BJP is planning to bring a similar ordinance for the rest of the country as well.
“An ordinance like Delhi, which is like the declaration of dictatorship, will be brought in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
He further noted that Prime Minister Modi has been in power for the past 21 years– first as Gujarat CM for 12 years and then as Prime Minister for nine years– while he has been in power for eight years as Delhi CM.
“Go and asses if I worked more in eight years or PM Modi is 21 years…I built schools and hospitals, gave free treatment to people, got their children a good education, and free electricity. However, Modi ji said I’m distributing free revdi,” he said.
“Modi ji, meanwhile you handed over the whole country and the whole central government to your friend,” Kejriwal added.
On the arrests of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, he said they were arrested in order to stop work in the national capital. “But we have 100 Sisodias and 100 Jains. They will continue the good work,” the chief minister said.
While former deputy chief minister Sisodia was arrested in February over alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22, Jain was arrested in May last year in a money laundering case.
As he neared the end of his speech, he took a veiled dig at the Prime Minister’s educational qualification.
Narrating a story of a “young boy born to poor parents, who saints said would go on to become a big king,” Kejriwal said, “The king brought in demonetisation which affected the country’s economy. Then one day someone asked him to bring in a Rs 2,000 note, so he did it. After some years, someone asked him to withdraw the notes, and he did… He signed whatever paper people brought to him as he was scared people will get to know he can’t read.”
He then asked people to share the story with others.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also participated in AAP’s “Maha Rally” on Sunday against the Centre’s ordinance on control of services in the national capital.
Speaking on the occasion, Sibal said, “My purpose in the coming days will be to go to different places and tell people that the time has come, we need to unite and fight against PM Modi.”
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