BJP has failed, should hold fresh civic elections, says AAP

Manoj Tiwari hits back at Delhi govt. for not releasing funds as recommended by the finance panel

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday demanded that the BJP should dissolve the municipal corporations and hold a fresh election as the BJP has “failed” to run the corporations.

Addressing a press conference, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “During the 2017 municipal election campaign, then Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari promised that there will be no scarcity of money in the corporations because the BJP will directly bring money or fund from the Central government. Manoj Tiwari misled the people of Delhi by making false promises and did not bring a single penny from the Centre, he should resign from the post of MP.”

‘No money’

He said that despite getting funds from the Delhi government, increasing house tax and other taxes, the BJP-ruled municipal corporations claim that they do not have any money to pay the salaries of the employees.

Attacking the AAP, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, “[Arvind] Kejriwal is not releasing ₹13,000 crore to the civic bodies as recommended by the Delhi Finance Commission. By not releasing ₹13,000 crore, he is forcing municipal employees to die of starvation.”

Mr. Bharadwaj said that employees of the BJP-ruled corporations are protesting at the Civic Centre, demanding the immediate release of their pending salaries. “Doctors, nurses, medical officials, teachers, sanitation workers and others who have worked relentlessly in the time of COVID-19 pandemic have not received their salaries.”

Mohalla sabhas

Earlier in the day, the AAP held “mohalla sabhas” to expose BJP’s alleged corruption in the municipal corporations.

On Monday, the AAP had said that they would hold 2,500 mohalla-level meetings to tell people about an alleged ₹2,500 crore corruption by the BJP-ruled municipal corporations from January 7 to 15.

Addressing the first Mohalla Sabha at Kalkaji Assembly, AAP MLA Atishi said, “There has been a ₹2,500-crore scam in the BJP-ruled municipalities. This scam is the biggest-ever scam in Delhi’s history. This money was to be paid to doctors, nurses, sanitation workers and teachers. But the BJP leaders have looted this money, due to which the employees of all these departments could not be paid.”