New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a blistering attack on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, accusing his government of being in cahoots with opposition BJP and Congress to loot the state.
He further alleged that the education and health infrastructure in the state, during the 20-year BJD rule, remained paralysed and the government “in the grip of the mining mafia”.
“The BJD, BJP and the Congress government are work in tandem here and looting the state. They decide among themselves who will win which seats during elections,” Kejriwal alleged, asking people to vote for AAP in Odisha for a “better and transparent administration”.
Making a strong pitch among voters for about what his party stands for, Kerjriwal said AAP is not just a party but “a movement to attain the second independence for India.” He said it is up to the voters to usher a change in Odisha as they had done in Delhi by dislodging the Congress and BJP governments.
Expelled Congress leader Srikant Jena joined Kejriwal at a rally here.
Kejriwal said he had come to Bhubaneswar on the invitation of Srikant to strengthen his Samajik Nyaya Abhijan campaign.
“Today I invite Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to come and visit my schools and see the change we have brought there,” Kejriwal said as he alluded to the steps taken by his administration to improve the quality of government schools, claiming their academic results are better than private schools now.
Drumming up his clean image claims, Kerjriwal said the improved conditions of schools and hospitals in Delhi are because of honest and efficient administration provided by his government.
“Today my son is admitted to DPS Noida and not in any Delhi schools. I would have effortlessly got him admitted to a private Delhi school and principals would have lined at my doorstep. But I did not do do, lest I became weak and succumbed to their pressure,” Kejriwal said.
Drawing attention to the power tariff, he said they have not increased the tariff rates which has remained fixed at Rs one per unit. The Odisha government, on the other hand, has fixed a tariff of Rs 5.75 per unit despite being a power producing state, he said, taking a dig at the BJD administration.
