Senior AAP leader and Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar hit out at the BJP for forcing MCD employees to attend PM Modi’s rally, saying the threat of dismissal used to drag workers there proves the party has no public support in Delhi. He called it a blatant misuse of government machinery and demanded action against MCD officials involved. Kuldeep Kumar asserted that Delhiites boycotted the rally because of the BJP government’s failure to provide clean water, end waterlogging and power cuts, and its continued demolition of jhuggis and sealing of shops.
In a press conference, AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally has exposed the BJP’s lack of public support in Delhi and across the country. He said that the BJP, which came to power in Delhi by stealing votes and deceitfully winning elections, never had people’s backing, and this was visible in the empty chairs at the rally. “To gather crowds at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally, poor Dalit sanitation workers of Delhi were summoned even on their holiday. An order was issued that if they did not attend the rally, they would lose their jobs. Since Saturday night, I have received several calls from people telling me that Sunday is our Navami festival, which is highly significant for the Valmiki and Dalit community. Yet, they were forced to attend the Prime Minister’s rally,” he stated.
Exposing BJP’s failure, Kuldeep Kumar said, “Today it has become evident that the BJP’s six-month government has completely failed in organising the Prime Minister’s rally. For the past 10 days, Union Ministers, Ministers of State, the State President, and Chief Ministers have all been inspecting the rally venue. Yet, despite all their inspections, they could not bring the public to the rally site because the people of Delhi are angry with them. The people know that they have failed to provide clean drinking water, failed to resolve the problem of waterlogging, there are frequent power cuts, jhuggis are being demolished, and shops are being sealed. The people of Delhi are very upset with them.”
Criticising the misuse of government machinery, he asserted, “The way orders were issued for sanitation workers and teachers today shows that MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar seems to believe that the salaries of employees are paid by the BJP, which is why he is sending sanitation workers to BJP rallies. But this is not true—the salaries of MCD sanitation workers, other employees, and teachers are paid from the taxes of Delhi’s citizens. These employees work for the people of Delhi, not for the BJP.”
The AAP MLA further added, “Strict action should be taken against such Commissioners who misuse the government machinery. For BJP’s propaganda, buses were painted with lotus symbols and district names, and sanitation workers were forcibly seated in them. It is very unfortunate for the democracy and governance system of this country that today, government resources are being misused for the promotion of a political party. All of this is being done only to show crowds in Modi ji’s rally, to fill up chairs, and to earn applause. Many members of the Delhi Sanitation Workers’ Union are deeply hurt that the BJP is using art teachers, sanitation workers, and municipal employees for its propaganda.”
Kuldeep Kumar concluded by saying, “It has become absolutely clear that the BJP has no public support in Delhi. Whoever the Prime Minister waves his hand at in the rally, one can be sure that the person is a government employee who has been forcibly brought there in buses. All the people listening to the speech in the rally are attending unwillingly, only to save their jobs. This proves that the Prime Minister’s popularity is declining in the country.”
