New Delhi: The Delhi BJP on Thursday dubbed the Aam Aadmi Party's manifesto as a "document of deceit" and said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was "misleading" the people of the national capital over the issue of full statehood.
Shyam Jaju, BJP's national vice president and party in-charge of Delhi, said there is no need for full statehood to Delhi for providing basic amenities like sufficient power, water supply, prevention of pollution, maintenance of sewers-roads, providing health services, employment, security to women and reliable transport system. The AAP on Thursday came out with its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election based on the central theme of full statehood, promising 85 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs for the people of the national capital.
Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said Kejriwal, whose party stormed to power by sweeping the 2015 assembly polls, said the AAP's main poll plank was anti-graft, but alleged that corruption has increased during the AAP government's tenure. "The manifesto is nothing but a document of deceit. They had mentioned all points in 2015 and have repeated them in the 2019 manifesto," Gupta told reporters. Referring to the AAP's agenda of achieving full statehood to Delhi, Jaju said unless there is a constitutional amendment, this goal cannot be achieved. "But the party which is fielding its seven candidates, which cannot even win...how will they amend the Constitution?" Jaju said. Referring to the issue of services that largerly pertains to transfer of bureaucrats and making appointment, he said the matter was pending before the court.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the city's Lieutenant Governor did not have independent decision-making powers and the real authority lied with the elected government. In February, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, in its verdict on the AAP versus the Centre case, is divided on services -- the power to appoint, post and transfer of officials in Delhi administration -- but agreed on the Centre having control over the Anti-Corruption Branch in Delhi. The services issue has been sent to a larger bench.
Gupta said by raking the issue of full statehood, the AAP wants to shift people's attention from 70 promises it made during the 2015 Delhi assembly polls . "It has failed to fulfil the promises even after staying 50 months in power. The party has cunningly covered up its failures to deliver the promises by making new promises which it knows cannot be fulfilled," he said.
