As leads turned into results at the Delhi Assembly polls, giving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a near encore of its extraordinary electoral victory, Arvind Kejriwal said that the day, was blessed by Lord Hanuman. BJP was very upset when he recited the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’, because they were hell bent on proving him anti-Hindu and a Muslim supporter.
Kejriwal had stumped many including leaders of the BJP by declaring to a TV News channel that he was a “kattar Hanuman bhakt” following which he recited the Hanuman Chalisa. Days later, the Delhi CM paid a visit to a Hanuman temple, riling the Hindutvavadi BJP further. Since then, BJP stuck its Rama and Aam Aadmi Party is banking on Hanuman. Kejriwal’s Hanuman strategy really paid him off in endearing himself and his party to the BJP voter.
Recently, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj emphasised on building a Hanuman temple at Ayodhya when he said that Lord Hanuman was a symbol of selfless service. Bhardwaj also announced that the recitation of Ramayana’s ‘Sunder kand’ every month in different parts of his constituency. He said that it was to take the blessings of Lord Hanuman, BJP played its long political stint in the name of Lord Rama and the Ayodhya temple. They have reserved the building temple issue for 2024 elections, as they have already run out of topic whereas Aam Aadmi party got elected once again due to its performance and they really don’t need to hang on to any such agendas.
Delhi has voted them for better government schools, Mohalla clinics (mostly impressive). Some infra projects are definitely moving faster, auto drivers say that corruption is down. Just before the MCD elections, the BJP-run MCD actually stopped paying cleaning workers and made the city stink to make it feel like AAP was responsible. Basically there is the state govt., MCD and the lieutenant governor (Center). So, three entities determine Delhi’s fate. This is absolutely crazy and the current structure encourages everyone to pass the blame (in fact it encourages the BJP to be horrible and create a false narrative against AAP). Now, when AAP has successfully won the heart of the people of Delhi they should focus on MCD that is Hanuman. The MCD sanitation workers have gone on strike for non-payment of salaries as Government did not give sufficient funds to Municipal bodies. The Aam Aadmi Party can address each and every issue in Delhi as they all are educated leaders.
AAP has done extraordinary work despite the fact that the LG had constantly tried to delay the projects. Clean drinking water is the basic right of citizens. Since coming to power, the Kejriwal government has given and maintained 50 per cent subsidy on electricity bills without major hike in power tariff. Now, the electricity tariffs in Delhi are the lowest in the country. Free 20 kilolitre water scheme launched by Kejriwal government continues. The government is working towards bringing other areas into the water net. Over 8,000 classrooms have been constructed until April 2017 and over 10,000 more classrooms will be constructed over 2017-18. The Kejriwal government has already constructed 21 new schools since coming to power and will construct more in the years to come. From modernising infrastructure to building new schools to making school administration accountable to improve learning experience, the Delhi government under Kejriwal has achieved phenomenal success. With an aim to strengthen primary healthcare system and offer healthcare services to the urban poor the Delhi government under Kejriwal started a revolutionary Mohalla clinic project that reached millions of Delhi residents. To indicate the level of its requirement here are a few figures. In July 2016, nearly 1 million people had availed health services in six months. In 2017, between April and December, 110 clinics treated 1.5 million people.
The Delhi government, under Kejriwal, planned to open 1,000 such clinics by March 2017. Once all the clinics started running, most people had a clinic within a 5 km radius from their homes. Delhi has 180 clinics, 160 providing free healthcare. Here too BJP is doing everything in its capacity to stop Mohalla clinics. Minimum wages of unskilled workers have been increased from Rs 9,724 to Rs 13,350 per month for semi-skilled workers from Rs 10,764 to Rs 14,698 and for skilled labourers from Rs 11,830 to Rs 16,182. Disability pension, old age pension and widow pension have been increased by Rs 1,000 each. Rs 1 crore compensation for the family of security personnel’s in case of on-duty death. 200 categories of affidavits sought by various departments, local bodies and other organisations junked. Only self-certification is required now. VAT rates reduced in several categories from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent. However, in July last year, the GST was implemented in Delhi.
Doorstep delivery (In Progress): Birth, death, income, caste certificates, driving licence and ration to be delivered on their doorsteps. 1,000 AC electric buses will be rolled out over the two years. 25 skill centers across Delhi to be opened in the next two years. One such center has been approved at Jonapur. Anganwadis will also be revamped. There are a lot of other things that the Delhi government under Kejriwal is doing. What they actually need is to focus on all these developments. If they do then not only Lord Hanuman but the people of Delhi will save them, if they shift their focus even Lord Hanuman may fail to get them votes.
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