JOIN USPunjab polls: Kejriwal dares Channi to show 1,000 zero amount electricity bills
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said he is sending his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Singh Channi copies of one lakh 'zero' amount Delhi electricity bills and dared him to show even 1,000 such bills of his state.
Kejriwal, while addressing a gathering here, said unlike his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which delivers on its promises such as free electricity, Chief Minister and Congress leader Channi makes "false announcements every day".
Last year, Kejriwal had announced 100 per cent subsidy for those Delhi households which consume up to 200 units of electricity. Consumers of 201-400 units received approximately 50 per cent subsidy.
The AAP, which is the main opposition party in Punjab, has announced that if it wins in the 2022 assembly polls in the state, it will make up to 300 units of electricity free.
Kejriwal, at the gathering, presented copies of one lakh electricity bills of Delhi consumers, claiming that these were "zero bills".
Seventy to seventy-five per cent people in Delhi get zero amount electricity bills and still there is 24 hours electricity supply, claimed the AAP leader who is on a visit to the poll-bound state.
Kejriwal said he has already announced to make up to 300 units of electricity free in Punjab, if the AAP comes to power next year.
Following the AAP's announcement, Channi claimed that electricity has been made "free: in the state, Kejriwal said and asked those present at the gathering if any of them have got zero amount electricity bills so far.
"Did he (Channi) lie," the AAP leader asked.
Kejriwal said that out of 50 lakh, 35 lakh electricity consumers in Delhi got zero amount electricity bills last month.
"Today, I have brought proof that electricity in Delhi is free. I brought one lakh such electricity bills. Channi sahab can see them…we will send these bundles of electricity bills to Channi sahab," the Delhi chief minister said.
"I want to challenge Channi sahab to show 1,000 electricity bills in Punjab, which have zero amount," he said, adding that if people want "zero bill", then they have to ensure the AAP wins in Punjab.
Accusing Channi of making "false" promises, Kejriwal said the Punjab chief minister had promised five marla plots for homeless people, but has not fulfilled it yet.
He said Channi had claimed that the sand rate had been slashed to Rs 5 per cubic feet but sand was still being sold at Rs 35 per cubic feet.
The Channi government had claimed to regularise services of 36,000 contractual and outsourced employees in Punjab but not a single person has been made permanent, he said.
"Channi is making false announcements every day and not a single announcement has been implemented,: said Kejriwal.
He also targeted Channi's predecessor Amarinder Singh, saying the former chief minister of Punjab had also made several promises but he also did not implement them.
"Channi is spending a lot of government money on various advertisements and hoardings for his fake publicity, but he is not doing any work at the grassroot level. Due to which today every section including unemployed teachers, employees, farmers, traders, doctors, nurses are sitting on dharna and protests," the AAP leader said.
He claimed that all the promises made by the AAP to the people of Delhi have been fulfilled.
While in Punjab, the Congress and the Akalis (Shiromani Akali Dal) had promised a lot to the people, but did not provide any facilities after forming government, he alleged.
Kejriwal said, "We have guaranteed free electricity to the people of Punjab, 24 hours uninterrupted power supply, opening of 16,000 mohalla clinics, giving Rs 1,000 per month to women, improving school and education system and building good hospitals and eradicating corruption."
"With the formation of the AAP government in Punjab, all the guarantees will be fulfilled at all costs," Kejriwal said.
He appealed to the people of Punjab to give one chance to his party, saying they have already given chances to the Congress and the Akalis.
Earlier, AAP Punjab president and Member of Parliament Bhagwant Mann in his address said, "The Congress has made many promises to the people of Punjab by issuing 129-page election manifesto during the 2017 elections, but the Congress government did not implement it."
Watch latest videos by DH here: