New Delhi: Defending his party’s audacious promise of exempting house tax post a victory in the next month’s civic polls, Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday reasserted Aam Aadmi Party’s claim that the Union minister Vijay Goel was unduly benefited by a similar tax waiver by the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
“If the house tax of BJP leader Vijay Goel’s haveli could be waived off, then why can’t the same be done for the common people of Delhi,” Mr Sisodia said. His party had earlier rubbished BJP’s claim that the house taxes can’t be exempted without the Parliament’s nod.
It may be recalled that the AAP in August last year alleged that the NDMC had waived off taxes of over 750 heritage buildings to benefit Haveli Dharampura — which is in the name of Mr Goel’s son.
“If the House (MCD) can waive off tax of a BJP leader’s haveli, then why does one need to go to the Parliament to do the same for common people?” Mr Sisodia said. “Why are the rules different for the common people and the politicians?” he added.
If voted to power in the civic elections, the AAP will use the same rules and powers to exempt house tax for Delhi’s common man, Mr Sisodia said.
The AAP rivals, the BJP that rules the three civic bodies, and the Congress, had earlier criticised the tax waiver announcement by the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The tax sop can’t be offered without the Parliament amending the Delhi municipal corporation act, the parties said.
Mr Sisodia alleged that the BJP is worried that the waiver would put end to a property tax racket in the corporations. “They are troubled because abolishing house tax will end the corruption in the civic bodies,” he said.
“BJP has used the power of the house to waive off house tax, but when we want to stop their corruption, we are being stopped,” the deputy chief minister said.
The civic polls on April 23 will also be a referendum on the AAP government’s performance after its electrifying victory, winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats in 2015.
