NEW DELHI: The tussle between BJP and AAP over the “freebie” debate continued on Thursday with a battery of BJP members, led by information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, accusing Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues of spreading lies and scare-mongering.
A day after Kejriwal’s allegation that the allocation for MNREGA had been slashed, Thakur said the allocation for the rural employment guarantee scheme was raised from Rs 61,500 crore to Rs 1,11,500 crore, that too when the economy was in distress due to the pandemic.
“Spreading fear, confusion and rumours is his old habit. Contested polls on the issue of corruption, but is running a corrupt government,” he said in a clear reference to the excise scam which allegedly resulted in loss to the exchequer and benefits to liquor traders.
BJP also rejected the Delhi CM’s charge about the Modi government organising benefits to corporate sectors. “In 2018-19, Rs 6.6 lakh crore and in 2021-22, Rs 7.1 lakh crore corporate tax was collected despite the pandemic,” said party spokesperson Sambit Patra.
The party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya took on Kejriwal on his claim that while Delhi government had handled its finances well, the Centre has failed to do so and is, therefore, opposed to subsidies. Malviya released details of the reports of the CAG regarding the finances of the Delhi government, which show that its undertakings like Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Transport Corporation have suffered huge losses over the past few years, and that the city government’s finances have been buoyed by support from the Centre.
Patra accused Kejriwal of trying to mislead and scare people by claiming that freebies are the same as welfare schemes launched to help weaker sections of society. He said the Delhi government uses freebies as baits to trap people into dependence and corner their votes, whereas the Centre’s welfare schemes are aimed at economic empowerment of weaker sections.
Citing a scheme of the Kejriwal government of providing loan to school students without any guarantee, Patra claimed that out of 89 students who applied in 2021-22, only two were given loans of up to Rs 10 lakh each.
A day after Kejriwal’s allegation that the allocation for MNREGA had been slashed, Thakur said the allocation for the rural employment guarantee scheme was raised from Rs 61,500 crore to Rs 1,11,500 crore, that too when the economy was in distress due to the pandemic.
“Spreading fear, confusion and rumours is his old habit. Contested polls on the issue of corruption, but is running a corrupt government,” he said in a clear reference to the excise scam which allegedly resulted in loss to the exchequer and benefits to liquor traders.
BJP also rejected the Delhi CM’s charge about the Modi government organising benefits to corporate sectors. “In 2018-19, Rs 6.6 lakh crore and in 2021-22, Rs 7.1 lakh crore corporate tax was collected despite the pandemic,” said party spokesperson Sambit Patra.
The party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya took on Kejriwal on his claim that while Delhi government had handled its finances well, the Centre has failed to do so and is, therefore, opposed to subsidies. Malviya released details of the reports of the CAG regarding the finances of the Delhi government, which show that its undertakings like Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Transport Corporation have suffered huge losses over the past few years, and that the city government’s finances have been buoyed by support from the Centre.
Patra accused Kejriwal of trying to mislead and scare people by claiming that freebies are the same as welfare schemes launched to help weaker sections of society. He said the Delhi government uses freebies as baits to trap people into dependence and corner their votes, whereas the Centre’s welfare schemes are aimed at economic empowerment of weaker sections.
Citing a scheme of the Kejriwal government of providing loan to school students without any guarantee, Patra claimed that out of 89 students who applied in 2021-22, only two were given loans of up to Rs 10 lakh each.