BJP attacks AAP for ‘biased attitude’ towards civic bodies

Leaders accuse party of ‘leaving behind’ the previous Congress government in ‘corruption, nepotism’

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a demonstration near the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday against what it termed was “the biased attitude” of the Kejriwal government towards the three municipal corporations and “rampant corruption” in various government departments.

Demonstrators detained

Among those present were MP Meenakshi Lekhi, MLA O. P. Sharma, Pradesh office bearers Ravinder Gupta, Jai Prakash and councillors Ravinder Kumar and Parvesh Sharma.

The police ultimately used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators around Metcalfe House. Many party members, including Mr. Sharma, Mr. Gupta, Rajesh Bhatia and Mr. Prakash, were detained.

‘AAP disgracing mandate’

“Corruption in government work in Delhi is rampant. PWD, Health, Transport, Food and Supply, you name the department and each has its own stories of corruption. I challenge Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stand in the Vidhan Sabha and issue a statement on stories of corruption in his regime being circulated in the media,” said Mr. Gupta, the Delhi BJP general-secretary.

Mr. Prakash, a member elect of the Standing Committee of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, condemned Mr. Kejriwal for “disgracing” the mandate of the people of Delhi, who voted the BJP to power in the municipal elections, by not constituting the mandatory zonal structure and not allowing the three civic bodies to function.

Mr. O.P. Sharma accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led government of having “left behind” the previous Congress government in “both corruption and nepotism”.