Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday challenged the BJP-ruled Centre to show him the file of the Rafale deal, in return of his government’s 400 files checked by a central committee.
“I just need to be shown four files, including the one on the Rafale deal, for four days. I will send (them) to jail for life,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said at the launch of his party’s donation campaign here.
He also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged corruption, while claiming that the AAP’s rule in the national capital was “the most honest” in the country in the last 70 years.
Asking his “honest” party workers and people to face both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress supporters with confidence, Kejriwal took a jibe at Modi, saying the chests of the people of Delhi puffed up to 60 inches, and not merely 56 inches, as they were filled with pride.
He also said had the AAP attempted dishonest means to get money, it could have amassed Rs 2,000 crore by demanding just a one-per cent cut for works worth Rs 2 lakh crore awarded by his government in the last three-and-a-half years.
Launching his party’s donation campaign — “Aap Ka Daan, Rashtra Ka Nirman” — in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Kejriwal said the campaign will become a model all over the world on how to do honest politics through public contributions.
Asserting that the AAP government in Delhi was “the most honest” in the country in the last 70 years, Kejriwal took at dig at the Prime Minister, saying, “We have received clean chits from Narendra Modi and the committee that was formed to check our files.”
Attacking Modi, the AAP national convener alleged that attempts were made to stop the Delhi government from functioning — first by forming a committee that went through 400 of its files and later through raids conducted against him, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, ministers Satyendar Jain and Kailash Gahlot.
“Nothing was found by the committee and the raids. So, when I say ours is the most honest government, it is because we have received clean chits from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his committee,” he said.
The chief minister, however, challenged the Centre to show him the Rafale deal file in return of his government’s files checked by its committee.
He said anyone giving donations to the AAP would not do any “favour” to the party, but would do so for a better future of their children and nation building on the basis of honest politics.
“We have been able to work for the people honestly because our party was sustained by their small donations,” Kejriwal said.
Under the monthly donation scheme, people will need to give a missed call to a mobile phone number that was launched by the AAP supremo. They will be contacted by the staff of the service providers hired by the party for collecting donations.
The minimum amount of donation is Rs 100. Kejriwal said the campaign will become a model all over the world on how to do honest politics through public contributions just as the Mohalla Clinic and doorstep delivery of services schemes of his government.
The chief minister claimed that had his party attempted dishonest means, it could have collected at least Rs 2,000 crore through the contracts awarded by the Delhi government.
“We awarded works worth Rs 2 lakh crore in the last three-and-a-half years of the AAP government in Delhi. Even if we asked for a one-per cent cut, we would have amassed Rs 2,000 crore. But then, we would not provide Mohalla clinics, schools, roads, flyovers to the people,” he said.
Kejriwal said his government did not allow any hike in the power tariff.
“If we rise it by 50 paise, the power companies will give Rs 100 crore to our party fund,” he claimed.
Kejriwal said he would give Rs 10,000 per month to the party fund. His wife and daughter pledged donations of Rs 5,000 each while his father Rs 500 per month.
All the top leaders of the party, including Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, MPs and MLAs among others also pledged to donate sums. Rajya Sabha MP Singh said he would donate Rs 21,000 per month to the party.
Highlighting the Delhi government’s achievements, Kejriwal asked the AAP workers to face the BJP and Congress supporters with confidence, because their party’s government was honest.
“The people of Delhi are filled with pride and their chests puff up to 60 inch. Not 56 inch, someone else’s measures that,” he said, taking a jibe at Modi for his “56-inch chest” quote.
Kejriwal appealed to all the Delhi people who had benefitted from mohalla clinics, schools, improved power and water supplies and other welfare schemes of his government to donate to the AAP.
Those who had not received any benefit from the AAP government should also donate to the party for its honest politics and nation building, he said.
Kejriwal added that the Delhi government was rich but the AAP was “bankrupt”, which he said was not the case when the Congress or the BJP ruled the national capital.
“Then, the governments would be bankrupt and the parties would be malamaal (rich),” he charged.
The chief minister also hit out at the BJP and the Congress, saying these parties ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for 15-20 years but did nothing to improve the health of the people or education there.