Will build 10 Singapore in Delhi if full statehood granted: Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi, Mar 25: Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday promised to build infrastructure equalling "ten Singapore" if full statehood was granted to Delhi.
Addressing a public rally at Patparganj in east Delhi, he called for people's support in the upcoming elections to ensure that Delhi gets full statehood.
"We will build ten Singapore in Delhi. We will ensure that a flat is given to everyone who is staying in huts in Delhi," he said.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal claimed when the PM was unable to handle Pakistan, how could he be expected to take care of Delhi Police.
"Let us handle Delhi Police and you (PM) take care of Pakistan. You are not able to handle Pakistan, how can you be expected to handle Delhi Police?" he said.
Accusing the Centre of creating hurdles for Delhi's development, the AAP leader said he faced several obstructions at various stages to get clearances from the central government.
He said the people of Delhi pay Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth Income Tax and receive only Rs 325 crore from the Centre.
"Why should we pay so much and get so less in return? What have Delhiites done to the central government to deserve this? The situation is similar to the time before India got independence.
"First Britishers looted us, now the central government is looting us," the chief minister said.
"Just for political enmity, PM Modi stopped the development work for the common man of Delhi. Last time you voted for him, but this time do not vote for him, otherwise he would not let me work for development," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said full statehood for Delhi will ensure that children scoring even 60 per cent marks get admission in colleges in Delhi.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the city is fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha election on the agenda of granting full statehood to Delhi.
Raising the slogan of 'Poorna Rajya Banao Jhadu ka Button Dabao', the party is busy convincing people to vote for AAP to get full statehood for Delhi.
The election to the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital will be held on May 12.
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Ruckus outside counting centre in Mamata's constituency, TMC claims entry of car with BJP flag
Kolkata (PTI): The counting centre at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur assembly constituency witnessed a ruckus a day ahead of the counting of votes, with TMC workers alleging two cars bearing the BJP's flag were allowed entry to the compound where EVMs are kept.
The incident comes close on the heels of a four-hour-long sit-in by Banerjee in front of the same counting centre at the Sakhawat Memorial Girls School on Thursday night, alleging unauthorised entry of persons into the strongroom.
With the polling now over, the wrangling for power in West Bengal has turned into a battle of nerves between the incumbent TMC and the BJP. Workers and leaders of both parties have been keeping a steely gaze on the security of strongrooms across the state where the electoral fate of the candidates is sealed.
Despite expressing her confidence in a "landslide victory", Banerjee has repeatedly aired her apprehensions of "counting malpractice and EVM tampering ahead of the day of results".
On Sunday morning, TMC workers camping 100 metres from the counting centre alleged that two cars with BJP flags entered the premises and went near the strongroom.
"The CAPF personnel at the spot are not allowing any vehicle or person to enter the premises of the counting centre without valid identity proof. Then how come this car, which we have not seen in the past few days, was allowed entry? Once we protested, the central forces asked us to move 100 metres away," a TMC activist said.
The TMC claimed that while the police personnel posted there promised the vehicle would be removed from the spot, it remained there for some time.
A senior Election Commission official said the car was passing by the Harish Mukherjee Road, and after checking by security forces and police, it was allowed to leave as nothing objectionable was found in it.
On Thursday night, two counting centres, including one at Sakhawat Memorial Girls School in the city, witnessed high drama after TMC leaders alleged a lack of transparency and possible malpractice at the strongrooms housing sealed EVMs of the assembly polls, which concluded on April 29.
TMC leaders and candidates, Sashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh, held a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra counting centre on Thursday evening, alleging unauthorised activities inside the strongroom amid the absence of TMC agents
In Howrah, TMC protested renovation work by the public works department at a place adjacent to the strongroom, and the EC stopped the work temporarily.
On Saturday, the ruling party filed a complaint with the poll panel, alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers at the EVM strongroom in Khudiram Anushilan Kendra.
Similar scenes were witnessed on Saturday outside the strongrooms at Asansol College in Paschim Bardhaman and the Barasat Government College in North 24 Parganas districts, where TMC workers held protests, alleging that CCTV cameras were switched off for several minutes.
The EC turned down all allegations, saying the surveillance cameras were working in an uninterrupted manner.
BJP spokesperson Sajal Ghosh told reporters that the people of Bengal were finding it "hilarious" that the TMC, "which used to win elections through unfair means and strongarm tactics" were now coming up with all sorts of "frivolous charges".
"Are they scared of losing?" he posed.
