Modi root of all problems: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: A day after the Delhi assembly session ended, chief minister ArvindKejriwal — who was in the house on the last day but didn't utter a word — launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making wide-ranging allegations and blaming him for his government's troubles. He alleged that he wanted to reverse numerous decisions of the AAP government through the lieutenant-governor, Najeeb Jung, and remove DCW (Delhi Commission for Women) chief Swati Maliwal. He claimed that Maliwal would soon be arrested.

Kejriwal's outburst — first on Twitter and then at a public function at Kirari — came a day after Jung said he was in the process of overturning and rectifying "illegal decisions" taken by the AAP government following the August 4 Delhi high court verdict. He accused the LG of "subverting" democracy to protect his own "chair".

On the CAG audit of expenditure on advertisements by the Delhi government, Kejriwal observed: "CAG vehemently refuses to audit expenses of the Centre and states. Why? CAG under pressure from BJP?"

"Sources - LG n PMO hell bent on removing Swati Maliwal 4 doing gud job. She'll be arrested coming week n then removed," he claimed in a tweet. "LG hell bent on removing the team which made mohalla clinics and saved money on flyovers," he tweeted again. "Increased min wages in Delhi. Is it illegal? Sources: Big companies met Modiji n opposed it. Now LG sitting on that file," he continued. "If he does not clear the minimum wages file, then the whole of Delhi will go and gherao Modiji and LG," said Kejriwal at the public meeting later in the day.

After participating in a foundation stone-laying ceremony for construction of 28km of roads in the Kirari constituency, Kejriwal said: "We had promised that power rates would be halved. We reduced the rates by way of a subsidy and gave 20,000 litres of water for free. These files too have been called by Modiji and he is threatening that power rates will be increased. I warn you dare not increase the power rates, and if you do so, the people of Delhi will teach you a lesson," warned Kejriwal. Sourcess pointed out that it was DERC which had to fix the tariff and it was stuck because the chairman had recused himself.

"Hold power cos accountable, make them pay compensation for unscheduled power cuts. Is it illegal? LG sitting on it. AAP govt asked for land for 10 hospitals from DDA. Modi's LG refused. Was our demand illegal," the CM had said in his tweets.

Referring to Jung's statement that he has tried to keep his intervention in the government restricted to the bare minimum, Kejriwal had tweeted: "If this is 'least interference', then what is 'high interference'? Shameful subversion of democracy to protect chair." He added: "Guys. Can u name 1 positive thing that Modiji or his LG did for Delhi so far? Only created hurdles. Negative people."