Kejriwal claims he deserves Nobel Prize, BJP says 'for corruption'

This particular claim triggered responses from the BJP Chief of Delhi, Virendra Sachdeva, and mentioned his self-praise during a backdrop of allegations is 'laughable.'

Arvind Kejriwal, the former Chief Minister of Delhi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo, has been facing flak from the Bharitiya Janata Party (BJP) for a comment he made during a book launch of The Kejriwal Model in Chandigarh, where he asserted that he deserved a Nobel Prize for his government's "effective administration of Delhi despite political hurdles".

"Despite being stopped from working, we performed. I should get a Nobel Prize for governance and administration for doing so much despite there being a lieutenant governor and various difficulties," he said.

Attacking the BJP government, Kejriwal said that the AAP governed Delhi with "honesty and transparency". Alleging that the BJP government was robbing people, Kejriwal further asserted that the people of Delhi had started missing AAP's rule.

"Previous governments had claimed that the treasury was empty. But we fixed schools and hospitals, and gave free electricity, because we curbed corruption and saved public money," he said.

However, Kejriwal's particular claim on him deserving a Nobel Prize triggered sharp responses from the BJP's Delhi unit chief, Virendra Sachdeva, who described Kejriwal's self-praise against the backdrop of corruption allegations as "laughable".

"Kejriwal demanding a Nobel Prize for himself is laughable. He would have surely received one if there were categories for incompetence, anarchy and corruption," Sachdeva stated.

Sachdeva then went on to remind people of the corruption allegations against AAP, ranging from alleged scams related to pension schemes, public transport, classroom construction, and redevelopment projects.

AAP, however, retaliated, asserting that while it focussed on governance, the BJP was busy distracting citizens.

Party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, a former Delhi minister, said, "Virendra Sachdeva is in the government now. It is time to govern, not just talk. Opposition days are over, now you have to deliver. Delhi is waiting for real work, not distractions or name-calling."