In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused it of trying to run away from discussions on serious issues facing the country. AAP Senior Leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sanjay Singh specifically pointed out the Pulwama mishap and the Modi-Adani scam as issues that the BJP is trying to divert attention from. The MP demanded that the BJP address the allegations made by Shri Satyapal Malik, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, and explain their negligence in refusing to give five aircrafts in Pulwama that led to the martyrdom of soldiers. He also demanded that the party reveal who betrayed the nation in Pulwama and when the Adani Scam would be investigated.
Shri Sanjay Singh questioned why the BJP government spent blindly on Namaste Trump during the COVID pandemic and how their ‘fakir’ wears suits and specs worth lacs of rupees. He highlighted that the CM House was built 80 years ago in 1942 and had three serious incidents of roof caving in, leading to its reconstruction at the cost of Rs 30 crores on PWD’s suggestion. In contrast, Rs 90 crores were spent on the renovation of the Prime Minister’s residence, and a new residence for the Prime Minister is being built at a cost of 500 crores. The MP also stated that Rs 23,000 crores were spent on Central Vista, Rs 8400 crores on buying a personal jet for PM Modi, and Rs 12 crores spent on his personal car. Shri Sanjay Singh further pointed out that Delhi LG spent Rs 15 crore on the repair of his residence in the past few months. Further, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani spent Rs 191 crore, and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh spent Rs 65 crore on buying aircrafts for their personal use.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a press conference on Wednesday in response to the baseless and vindictive attacks by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal regarding the expenditure on rebuilding of the CM’s official residence. Shri Sanjay Singh pointed out that the country’s Prime Minister was getting his new house built at a cost of 500 crore, while 90 crore was being spent only for the renovation of his existing house. He also pointed out how the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi had spent 15 crore rupees only on the repairs of his house in the past few months.
Shri Sanjay Singh clarified that the old house that was built for the Chief Minister of Delhi was 80 years old, was built in 1942, and was in dire need of renovation. “Not one, but three serious incidents had happened in that house,” he said. These included the ceiling of the room where the Chief Minister’s parents were staying collapsing, the ceiling of the room in which the CM himself was staying collapsing, and the roof collapsing in the office room where the CM met citizens. After these incidents, the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi Government suggested that the old house needed to be demolished and a new house should be built. The new house was rebuilt at a cost of 30 crore rupees.
The Rajya Sabha MP also pointed out that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi had spent 15 crore rupees only on the repair of his house, which was on 6 acres of land. In comparison, a new house was built for the Delhi CM on only one acre.
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Jholewala Fakir’ remark during a rally in 2016, Shri Sanjay Singh called out the Prime Minister as “the Shahenshah-e-Alam of the country.” He pointed out that the country’s Prime Minister was getting his new house built at a cost of 500 crore. Before moving into that house, Rs. 90 crore is being spent only on the renovation of his existing house. He said, “The 20,000 crore Central Vista project has inflated its cost to about Rs 23,000 crore so far, and the Prime Minister’s house is being built for Rs 500 crore.”
He also highlighted that the Prime Minister of India wears a suit worth Rs 10 lakh, uses a pen worth Rs 1.25 lakh, and wears eyeglasses worth Rs 1.6 lakh. Many of the cars that run in the convoy of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, cost Rs 12 crore per car.
The AAP leader also highlighted examples of egregious spending by chief ministers in BJP-ruled states. For instance, Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani’s aircraft cost Rs 191 crore. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan spent Rs 65 crore on buying his aircraft.
Shri Sanjay Singh called out the BJP spokesperson Shri Sambit Patra for his recent attack on the expenditure incurred in rebuilding the Delhi CM’s house and noted, “The poor thing was so upset. It seemed that he was on the verge of crying when he referred to the COVID pandemic.”
The Rajya Sabha MP further reminded the BJP spokespersons that when people in the country were dying due to the COVID pandemic, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was busy campaigning for the elections. He said, “Shri Narendra Modi claims to be a fakir, a former Chaiwallah, and born in poverty, but the truth is that he only cares about his own political power.” He also reminded the BJP that the decision to buy cars worth Rs. 12 crore each for BJP members was also taken during the pandemic.
“During the COVID pandemic, when citizens were dying in hordes, the BJP government passed Shri Narendra Modi’s budget to buy an aircraft for himself worth Rs 8400 crore. It is bizarre how the BJP lies in view of these details. The BJP’s melodrama over COVID is nothing but a distraction from their failures,” he added.
Shri Sanjay Singh added, “Meanwhile, the AAP-led Delhi government, under the leadership of CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Shri Satyendar Jain, worked tirelessly to serve the people of Delhi during the COVID pandemic, even in the face of personal tragedy and illness. Our party workers were also on the front lines, sanitising and providing aid to those in need.”
The AAP leader stressed that the BJP wants to divert attention from these real issues by making Delhi Chief Minister’s house a topic of discussion. He urged the BJP to talk about the real issues and not try to deflect attention.
He emphasised that the real issue is the negligence that led to the martyrdom of our soldiers in the Pulwama tragedy and who is responsible for its coverup. “When five planes were being requested for the safety of our soldiers, why were they not given? When the Indian Prime Minister can buy a VVIP aircraft worth Rs 8,400 crore for himself, why were five planes not given to save the lives of our brave soldiers?” On the Pulwama attack, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Shri Satya Pal Malik, who has been governor in four Indian states, recently alleged intelligence failures and that the BJP-ruled central government denied aircraft for the movement of the security personnel.
Shri Sanjay Singh also highlighted the need to discuss the Adani mega-scam worth lakhs of crores. He questioned why a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has not been set up on the Modi-Adani scam. Black money worth Rs 42,000 crore was diverted to Adani’s companies through six shell companies registered at the same address in Mauritius. He further asked why six to eight coal blocks were given to Adani despite the order of the Supreme Court of India and against the rules and regulations of the Government of India. He also questioned how all the property of the country, including the airports and seaports, is being gifted to only one person.
Addressing BJP spokesperson Shri Sambit Patra, Shri Sanjay Singh said, “If you have any moral courage, then tell your Prime Minister to apologise to the entire country with folded hands and admit that he was spreading COVID by holding election rallies during the COVID pandemic. Ask your PM why he bought an aircraft worth Rs 8400 crore for himself when citizens were dying during COVID. Ask him why he buys cars worth Rs. 12 crore each when citizens were losing their lives. Our current Prime Minister, the Shahenshah-e-Alam of India, who calls himself a fakir, and a poor tea seller, will live in a house worth 500 crores, uses suits, pens, and spectacles worth lakhs, and changes his expensive clothes many times a day. When will you ask him these questions?”
Shri Sanjay Singh concluded, “We need to address the real issues facing our country, including the martyrdom of our jawans in Pulwama and the multiple scams being done by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, with Gautam Adani. It is time for the BJP to stop playing politics and start addressing the real issues that affect the people of our country.”
