Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged that the BJP-led municipalities had waived the house tax for BJP leader Vijay Goel’s mansion. He questioned that if they could exempt their leader from paying the tax, then why can’t regular Delhiites be let off?
Addressing the media, Mr. Sisodia said the municipal corporations had, in August last year, decided to exempt house tax on Mr. Goel’s ‘ haveli ’ (mansion), but when the AAP proposed the same exemption for the commoners, the BJP raised questions.
‘Why are rules different’
“If the House (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) can waive 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 asked. “Why are rules different for the common people and the politicians,” he asked.
He added that if voted to power in the civic elections, the AAP would use the same rules and power to exempt house tax for common citizens, which the BJP-ruled corporations had used for its leader.
The party had proposed that if voted to power in the municipal elections next month, it would scrap house tax and will also waive pending dues.
‘We proved ourselves’
Both the BJP and Congress have been contesting that such a waiver of house tax cannot be done without a nod from the Parliament. The AAP has since been producing documents and portions from the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act to prove their claim.
“They doubted us when we claimed in the Assembly elections that we will slash electricity and water bills. But we proved ourselves before the public. We have made another promise and we will fulfil that. There are several other avenues of revenue for the municipalities. It does not have to be through blackmailing and taking bribes from people in the name of house tax,” he said.
