Free ki revri reaches US: Kejriwal takes dig at critics, cites Trump's promise on power tariff
New Delhi (PTI): Citing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's promise to halve electricity costs, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal took a dig at his political rivals on Friday, saying "free ki revri" has now reached the United States.
Addressing the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday, Trump vowed to slash energy prices and expedite environmental approvals to boost electricity capacity if elected.
"I will cut the price of energy and electricity in HALF within 12 months. We will seriously expedite our environmental approvals and quickly double our electricity capacity. This will drive down inflation and make America and Michigan the best places on earth to build a factory," the former US president said in a post on X.
Reposting the message on the microblogging platform on Friday, Kejriwal said, "Trump has announced that he will reduce electricity rates by half. Free ki revri reach US."
Kejriwal is often attacked over subsidised electricity and water supply in Delhi by his political opponents, who accuse him of using "freebies" to win votes and creating an unsustainable burden on the government's finances.
However, the AAP chief and his party maintain that their policies, such as free electricity and water, are vital for uplifting the poor and ensuring equitable access to basic services.
Addressing a public meeting last week, Kejriwal said, "I am giving six free revri -- power, water, bus rides for women, pilgrimage for the elderly, health and education -- to my two crore people of Delhi so that I can make their lives happier."
"The revri belongs to the public. I am distributing it among them," he added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
