“People Call It ‘Ashirwad’…”: Kejriwal Hits Back at PM Modi’s ‘Aapda’ Jibe; Points “Crisis” Within BJP

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of his government, responding to Modi’s comments about an 'Aapda' (crisis) in Delhi. Kejriwal countered by emphasizing his government’s achievements, claiming that the people of Delhi view the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration's work as a “blessing,” not a crisis.

"The work that the AAP government is doing isn’t a crisis; people call it a blessing," Kejriwal said during a press conference. He added that the real crisis lies within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), not Delhi. "The crisis isn’t in Delhi; it’s in the BJP. They don’t have a Chief Ministerial face, a clear narrative, or an agenda for the upcoming elections," he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had slammed the AAP government, accusing it of damaging Delhi’s school education system over the past decade. He described the AAP as a force of crisis, saying, "In the last 10 years, Delhi has been surrounded by an 'Aapda.'"

In response, Kejriwal highlighted the progress made by the AAP government in sectors like education, healthcare, electricity, water, and infrastructure. "The achievements in Delhi could take hours to list. In contrast, the BJP has not done a single thing that the Prime Minister can proudly showcase," Kejriwal remarked.

Kejriwal also reminded Modi of his 2020 promise to provide permanent housing for all residents of Delhi by 2022. Despite the promise, only 4,700 houses have been built in five years, he noted, pointing out that Delhi requires 1.5 million homes. “During the last five years, the BJP has rendered nearly 279,000 people homeless by demolishing slums. If the Prime Minister had delivered on his promise, he would be able to showcase it instead of criticizing me,” Kejriwal added.

The Delhi Chief Minister also took a dig at the Prime Minister’s actions, stating, "I built 530 mohalla clinics and five new hospitals. Had the PM built 50 hospitals, he wouldn’t need to criticize me." Kejriwal's remarks come ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, scheduled for February 2025, with the dates expected to be announced soon.