On the day Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal promised to build a modern school and provide Narmada water in every village as a pre-poll sop in Gujarat, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani hit out at him saying his “lies and dreams” will not succeed in Gujarat.
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Mr. Kejriwal addressed two public rallies at Gandhidham in Kutch and in Junagadh, where he reiterated his “guarantees” like free education and healthcare services and allowance to women.
In Ahmedabad, Ms. Irani slammed the AAP leader for the liquor scam in the national capital and the alleged widespread corruption in his government. She said the people of Gujarat would never give chance to such people, whose only aim is to grab power by peddling “lies and selling dreams.”
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"He is now in Gujarat to peddle new dreams and lies ahead of the Assembly election. But let me tell you that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Gujarat and Gujaratis Vande Bharat train and Ahmedabad metro rail, your government in Delhi committed scam in purchase of DTC buses,” she retorted to Mr. Kejriwal, referring to the CBI inquiry ordered in the procurement of buses in Delhi.
Responding to Mr. Kejriwal’s promise of providing Narmada water to every village, the Union Minister said that 10 crore households got clean drinking water from taps under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission . "On the other hand, 690 slums in Delhi are still deprived of drinking water despite Kejriwal being in power for eight years," she said, adding that his lies would be exposed by the BJP workers in Gujarat. She also accused the AAP leader of using “money power” in Gujarat to create a narrative for the AAP in the State.
Addressing the women workers of the BJP in Ahmedabad, Ms. Irani talked about the various welfare schemes the BJP Government in the State and at the Centre have launched for women and children.
She also mentioned about the AAP’s association with anti-Narmada dam activist Medha Patkar, who had opposed the dam on the ground of large scale displacement of tribals in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
In Gujarat, Kejriwal has emerged as the main target of the BJP leaders as the AAP has been gaining traction and setting its narrative in the State. The AAP leader has succeeded in forcing the ruling party to follow the agenda set by him ahead of the electoral battle for which the ruling party is sparing no effort to retain power by winning the seventh consecutive election in the State since 1995.