BJP leader and home minister Amit Shah has thrown a virtual challenge to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal to retain his assembly seat of New Delhi in the February 8 polls. Shah, who is leading the BJP’s election campaign, said the ground under Kejriwal’s feet was slipping and the Delhi assembly results will show that.
In 2015 polls, Kejriwal had won the New Delhi seat by defeating BJP’s Nupur Sharma by over 30,000 votes. The BJP has fielded Sunil Yadav, the president of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), against Kejriwal this time.
Shah said ‘lotus’ (BJP’s electoral symbol) will bloom on the New Delhi seat this time.
“Kejriwal ji leave the rest of Delhi, go to your New Delhi seat. This time ground has slipped from under your feet. I will tell media colleagues on counting day, focus on that seat and see the result. This time a lotus named Sunil Yadav will bloom there,” said Shah during a rally in Chhatarpur, south Delhi.
Shah’s challenge to Kejriwal comes amid AAP allegations that BJP was deliberately stoking unrest in the capital and allowing the law and order to deteriorate so that it could be used as an excuse to postpone assembly elections. AAP leader Sanjay Singh made the allegations while reacting to the incident of an armed man opening fire on those protesting against the amended citizenship law near Jamia Millia University on Thursday. A student was injured in the incident. The AAP leader said that Shah was planning to destabilise Delhi.
Shah, however, appeared undeterred by the charge as he launched a blistering attack against the AAP and said the choice is between those who eliminate terrorists and those who support Shaheen Bagh.
“Two forces are face to face in the assembly elections in Delhi. On one side is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who eliminated terrorists through air and surgical strikes inside Pakistan and on the other hand are those supporting Shaheen Bagh. You have to decide whom do you support,” he said.
Attacking senior AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Shah said the BJP was with thousands of Pakistani refugees living in Delhi’s Sanjay Colony.
“Sisodia said I am with Shaheen Bagh. Now I am saying we are with Sanjay Colony. I want to say to Dalits who came from Pakistan and settled in Sanjay Colony that you have as much right over this country as I and my son have,” he said.
Shah said Kejriwal had failed to fulfil promises he made before elections. He said Kejriwal had sworn against using government accommodation and vehicle but gladly accepted the privileges after coming to power.
Shah also claimed that Kejriwal’s promises on clean water, smooth roads, new schools and colleges and CCTV installations were all lies and BJP had a right to question them.
“When we question Kejriwal on his false promises, he alleges it to be an insult to Delhi residents. Why will it be an insult to people of Delhi, they are our brothers and sisters. Don’t we have a right to question your (Kejriwal’s) lies. Do you consider yourself to be Delhi,” Shah said.
Shah also repeated his accusation that Kejriwal had misused Anna Hazare-led civil movement. Delhi will go to polls on February 8 and the campaigning will end on February 6.