In a bold election promise, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal assured Delhi residents that his party would waive inflated water bills if re-elected in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Speaking at a press conference, Kejriwal urged citizens to hold off on paying these bills, calling it his “guarantee” to address the issue.
Highlighting AAP’s 10-year record of providing 20,000 liters of free water to households, Kejriwal noted that 12 lakh families had benefited from zero-amount bills under the scheme. Criticizing the BJP, he said, “After I went to jail, I don’t know what these people did. Suddenly, people started receiving water bills amounting to thousands and lakhs of rupees.”
Kejriwal also cited past instances of inflated bills, including a February meeting with residents in Govindpuri where he tore up one such bill. He claimed that 11 lakh families faced this problem and reiterated his commitment to resolving it post-elections.
BJP Hits Back
Responding to Kejriwal’s announcement, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP leader of lying and failing to address Delhi’s water supply issues. Sachdeva alleged, “There is no regular water supply, and even when it’s supplied, it’s dirty. The AAP government promised to address inflated bills before, but they haven’t done anything.”
He further accused Kejriwal of being involved with the tanker mafia and questioned why the bills weren’t waived before the model code of conduct was implemented.
Congress and BJP Under Fire
Kejriwal also addressed protests outside his residence by a group of women alleging unfulfilled promises in Punjab. He dismissed the protesters as Congress and BJP affiliates, adding, “Congress and BJP should officially announce their alliance against AAP in Delhi.”
While AAP and Congress are part of the INDIA bloc at the national level, they are contesting the Delhi elections separately. In previous Lok Sabha elections, BJP won all seven seats in Delhi, leaving Congress and AAP empty-handed.
AAP’s Welfare Promises
As part of its election campaign, AAP has announced various welfare schemes, including the Sanjeevani Scheme for senior citizens, providing free healthcare for those above 60 years, and the Mahila Samman Yojana, which offers Rs 2,100 monthly financial assistance to women.
Kejriwal has also promised a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 for priests at temples and granthis at gurudwaras, aiming to appeal to diverse voter groups ahead of the elections.
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