Kejriwal killing democracy at very grassroots by starving local bodies of funds: BJP

The BJP Friday took umbrage at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for ”attacking” the Election Commission and electoral process over the delay in announcement of MCD poll dates, saying he is ”killing” democracy at the very grassroots by starving local bodies of funds”. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here along with the party’s Delhi unit chief Aadesh Gupta, Union minister Smriti Irani said the BJP is ”amused” that a party (AAP) which got less than NOTA votes in Uttar Pradesh, and lost deposits on 55 seats in Uttarakhand claims it had a decisive impact in the state elections results. Irani said the Kejriwal dispensation has not paid Rs 13,000 crore due to civic bodies in the national capital. Kejriwal is killing democracy at the very grassroots by starving local bodies of funds, she said.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had criticised the State Election Commission over the postponement of announcement of civil body poll schedule in Delhi, and said that forcing the “cancellation of elections” is unprecedented, unconstitutional and not good for democracy. Hitting back at him, Irani said, ”Today, the nation was amused to see a press interaction by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. As Indians, we should take umbrage at the fact that Kejriwal chose to attack the Election Commission and electoral process that have been hailed across the world as transparent and fair.” ”What amused the workers of BJP was the fact that Kejriwal claimed that his party had the decisive impact in the election results announced yesterday,” she said.

Irani said that in Uttar Pradesh, the AAP got less than NOTA votes, and in Uttarakhand it lost deposits on 55 of the 70 seats.

In Goa, she said, its vote share was just six per cent. ”So a leader who loses four state elections claims he is a harbinger of change.” Asking Kejriwal to release Rs 13,000 crore ”owed” by the Delhi government to the civic bodies in the national capital, Irani said, ”Kejriwal says eloquently that he is the saviour of democracy. I want to tell him that by starving municipal corporations of funds, he is killing democracy at the very grassroots.” She said that for the last seven years in Delhi, Kejriwal himself has ”stopped” funds for the sanitation workers. Under his leadership, the funds for the development activity in villages and other works by the municipal corporations has been stopped, she alleged. The Delhi State Election Commission has sought the advice of legal experts on if it can still hold polls for the three municipal corporations here following a communication from the Centre for their unification.

The Commission, after receiving the communication, had deferred the announcement of poll dates for the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.