BJP accuses Kejriwal of using children for his 'cheap, dirty' politics
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday accused Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal of using children for political gains, charging him with practising "petty, cheap and dirty" politics.
Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Delhi's ruling party has not taken down a post, which shows some children raising pro-Kejriwal slogans, despite the National Human Rights Commission raising serious concerns on the matter.
Such a depiction of children is a violation of the Juvenile Act and the Election Commission guidelines, he said.
"Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi are not sparing even children. They are violating the dignity of children. Is it because Kejriwal knows that he is losing the elections in Delhi," Bhatia asked.
He asked why Kejriwal was "playing with young and impressionable minds for his petty, cheap and dirty politics".
The BJP, he claimed, will ensure that the "destroyer of children and a hater of children" is thrown out of power. He accused the AAP government of converting school toilets into classrooms for children and deliberately failing students in Class 9 and Class 11 to ensure higher pass percentages in Class 10 and Class 12.
He added that people will celebrate "Happiness Utsav" -- a Delhi government initiative to commemorate the 'Happiness Curriculum' in its schools -- by teaching the AAP a lesson in the upcoming polls.
The AAP government opened no new school despite promising over 500 of them, and is behind the vacancy of almost 80 per cent post of teachers, he alleged.
Bhatia dubbed Kejriwal's announcement of Rs 18,000 monthly honorarium to temple and gurudwara priests as yet another "false promise" by the AAP, claiming the former chief minister knows that his "political life" is coming to an end.
Until recently his government was opening liquor shops outside religious places, he said.
The BJP spokesperson noted that the AAP government has also promised a similar amount to imams but has not paid them for 17 months. "There has been no bigger fraud and deceitful politician in India than him," he alleged.
Asked about the Congress' charge that the BJP government at the Centre has disrespected former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the BJP leader hit back at the opposition party's "insult" of former PM P V Narasimha Rao, saying it did not even allow his cremation in the national capital.
There has been a bitter war of words between the Congress and the ruling BJP over arrangements at Singh's funeral and over the setting up of a memorial to the ex-PM.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
