Kejriwal admits AAP Government failed to fulfil three promises, Congress criticises
New Delhi: Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal admitted during a speech at Laxmi Bai Nagar that his government failed to fulfil three major promises made earlier. He assured the gathering that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is working towards addressing these issues.
Kejriwal said, "I could not fulfil three promises, cleaning the Yamuna River, providing clean drinking water 24 hours a day, and upgrading Delhi’s roads to European standards." He also reminded the audience of his 2023 promise to clean the Yamuna and take a dip in its waters before the 2025 Assembly polls. Recently, he inaugurated a 24-hour drinking water supply in Rajendra Nagar and vowed to extend this initiative across Delhi.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, contesting against Kejriwal, criticised him for failing to address pollution in the Yamuna and Delhi's toxic air. Dikshit, son of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, alleged that the Kejriwal government had neglected setting up sewage treatment plants, worsening the Yamuna's pollution.
He also attributed Delhi’s air pollution to the rising number of vehicles, lack of a strong public transport system, and diminishing green cover. "The number of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses has decreased from 5,500 in 2013 to around 3,000 now," Dikshit added.
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
