AAP has given free electricity, free water, free bus travel for women, free elderly pilgrimage, free healthcare and free education; we will soon give Rs. 1,000 per month to women: Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the Delhi Government will soon roll-out a scheme to provide Rs. 1000 per month to all women in the state, on Sunday. The AAP National Convenor was addressing the ‘Janata Ki Adalat’ at Chhatrasal Stadium, where he heavily came down upon BJP’s so-called ‘Double Engine Model’.

Arvind Kejriwal challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide free electricity in NDA-ruled states before Delhi polls. The former Delhi CM also pledged to bring full statehood to Delhi, ending the LG Raaj, and restoring powers in the hands of the public.

The ‘Janata Ki Adalat’, attended by thousands of locals and party workers, saw Arvind Kejriwal uniquely conveying his policies to the common citizens, by handing each attendee a packet of six revdis. With each revdi signifying free electricity, free water, free bus travel for women, free elderly pilgrimage, free healthcare and free education. “I want to tell the Prime Minister, these are six revdis, and the seventh revdi is coming. This revdi is made from sugar, and this sugar belongs to the public. The sesame in it also belongs to the public. The cardamom in it also belongs to the public. I’m just the halwai, I’ve mixed all this and made the public’s revdi and given it to the public. This revdi isn’t mine,” he said, explaining AAP’s welfare model of repaying the citizens with free facilities.

Arvind Kejriwal began his address by referencing recent exit polls, stating, “Yesterday evening, I was watching TV and saw the exit polls. The BJP’s double-engine governments are leaving both Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.” He went on to explain that the concept of ‘double engine’ governments has failed across the country. “One engine broke down in June when they got 240 seats,” he said. “Now the second engine is going one by one. It’s leaving Haryana, then Jammu & Kashmir, then it will leave Jharkhand, and then Maharashtra.”

The AAP National Convenor argued that people have understood the true meaning of ‘double-engine’ governments. “As all the double-engine governments are leaving, people have understood that double-engine governments mean inflation, unemployment, and corruption. That’s why their governments are leaving from all over the country,” he declared.

He challenged the BJP’s claims about the benefits of ‘double-engine’ governments. He asked the crowds, “They say, ‘form a double-engine government, form a double-engine government.’ When they come, ask them: The people of Haryana gave you a double-engine government. For ten years, they had a double-engine government in Haryana. So what happened? What did you do that, today, no one in Haryana is letting you enter their villages?”

He continued his critique, citing examples from other states: “In Uttar Pradesh, there’s been a double-engine government for seven years. They must have done something wrong that they could get only half the seats in the Lok Sabha polls there. What wrong did the double engine do in Uttar Pradesh? In Manipur, they have had a double-engine government for seven years. Manipur has been burning for the last two years. So, do you want such a double-engine government that makes every state like Manipur?”

He went ahead to ask people to reject the idea of double-engine governments. “If they come to you and say they want a double-engine government, tell them absolutely not. This country is tired of double-engine governments. Double engine means double loot, double corruption.”

He further criticised PM Modi and the BJP for being in cahoots with crony capitalists, saying “PM Modi has a friend, everyone knows his name. They say wherever PM Modi goes abroad, he follows and gets contracts. They’re giving all the work in the country to him. All the contracts in the central government are going to him. Do they want a double-engine government because after all central contracts, now they want to give state contracts to him too?”

He continued, “Now they’ll come to your homes during elections and say they’ll do all the work Kejriwal did. So tell them, then what’s the need for you? Kejriwal is here to do all our work. What’s the need for you then? Ask them this: Kejriwal made electricity free. Today they have governments in 22 states. Ask them to name one state where they’ve made electricity free. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand – do they have a single state where they’ve made electricity free?”

He also highlighted how AAP has made education excellent for the poor in Delhi, and improved government schools. “If they come to you and say they’ll do all of Kejriwal’s work, ask them in which states have they improved schools? In Gujarat, they’ve had a government for 30 years. Show me one school they’ve improved. I went to Gujarat to campaign two years ago. Couldn’t find one school they’ve improved. They’ve destroyed education for the poor.”

In a bold move, Arvind Kejriwal directly challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of welfare schemes, particularly free electricity. He stated, “Prime Minister, next year on September 17, you’ll turn 75 years old. Next year on September 17, you’ll retire. You have one more year left as Prime Minister. I challenge you, Prime Minister, in this one year, come forward and show your mantle by doing any work in these 22 states which can be compared to what has been done in Delhi.”

He continued, “People are saying it’s been 10 years since PM Modi has been in power. In ten years, he hasn’t done anything. When he retires, people will think he didn’t do anything. If you do something in the last year, people will say, well, he didn’t do anything in 10 years, but at least he did something in the 11th year.

Arvind Kejriwal specifically challenged PM Modi to provide free electricity in all BJP-ruled states. “Delhi elections are scheduled for February. Before February, if BJP makes electricity free in all 22 states. I’ll campaign for PM Modi in the Delhi elections.”

The AAP National Convenor expressed deep concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi. He cited numerous recent incidents of crime and violence, stating, “Big gangsters have made their bases in Delhi. Only a few news items appear in newspapers but the quantum is much higher. On October 4, in Jaitpur, in a hospital, a 50-year-old doctor was shot and killed. On September 30, in Uttam Nagar, shots were fired at the car of BJP leader Ramanjit Singh. On September 29, in Nangloi, a Delhi Police constable tried to stop a liquor mafia’s car, and that liquor mafia ran over and killed him. On September 28, in Narayan Vihar, 20 rounds of bullets were fired at a car showroom. On September 28, there was firing inside a hotel in Mahipalpur. On September 28, in Nangloi, two people fired three or four rounds at a shop.”

He criticized the BJP’s handling of Delhi’s security, saying, “all limits have been broken. Like we used to hear in the 90s about the underworld rule in Bombay, the same is happening in Delhi today. It has become difficult for people to leave their homes. What is BJP doing? What was BJP doing when this firing was happening? What is BJP doing when all these incidents are happening? BJP is trying to stop the work of the Delhi government.”

Arvind Kejriwal strongly backed his party’s initiatives in Delhi, particularly the appointment of bus marshals. He explained, “Before entering politics, I lived in Delhi’s colonies for ten years. I used to travel in buses every day. I’ve also traveled in Delhi’s buses for ten years. I know what the situation is in Delhi’s buses. When a woman boards a bus, if she doesn’t get a seat to sit, I know how she’s mistreated, how she has to face eve teasing. I know about how pickpockets work in Delhi’s buses, how crimes happen. When our government was formed, we appointed bus marshals in Delhi. Since bus marshals have been appointed, I started getting information from all around that women are now feeling safe.”

He added, “If any miscreant teased a woman inside a bus, she would shout loudly, and a bus marshal would immediately catch the miscreant and take him to the police station. There are so many instances, I know how many crimes our bus marshals have stopped, how many pickpockets they’ve caught. Once, a four-year-old child was being kidnapped. The child was crying badly. The bus marshal suspected something was wrong. Our bus marshal caught that kidnapper and saved the child.”

He accused the BJP of obstructing these initiatives, stating, “Who are these bus marshals? These are poor children. They get fifteen-fifteen thousand rupees a month. Who works for fifteen thousand rupees nowadays? Poor people. It’s not like any child of these BJP leaders works as a bus marshal. They’ve snatched the jobs of these ten thousand bus marshals. And they’re continuously telling lies around the reinstatement of these poor children. Sometimes they say the cabinet note wasn’t passed, sometimes they say this wasn’t passed, sometimes they say that wasn’t done. Yesterday our entire cabinet sat with them. Atishi ji, Saurabh Bhardwaj ji, all our ministers sat down. They said tell us where to sign, said pass the cabinet note. They made the cabinet note. In front of all of Delhi, in front of the whole country, these people were exposed. This means they don’t have good intentions. They are against the poor, these people are anti-poor.”

He further talked about how the BJP has removed various government employees and stopped payments to others. “They’ve removed 500 data entry operators from hospitals. They’ve removed fellows from different departments. They’ve stopped the salary of 5000 Home Guards for 5 months. They had stopped the old-age pension for 5 months. They’ve stopped widow pension for six months. They’ve stopped the pension of DTC pensioners for eight months.”

He continued, “Please have some shame. Are you not afraid of God? These are all poor people, not rich people. You’ve stopped their salaries, snatched their jobs. Their curse will affect you. You think you’ll win Delhi like this? Do some good work. You have so much power, you have a government at the center, you have so much money.”

He also assured the people of Delhi that they need not worry since he is now back to look after their problems. “I’ll get everyone’s salary paid, I’ll get all the work done, I’ll get everyone’s job back. To all the bus marshals, I want to say, your elder brother has come. We’ll fight together.”

Arvind Kejriwal also addressed how Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj had to fall at BJP MLA Vijender Gupta’s feet to get him to meet the LG over the issue of Bus Marshals. “This is a very big deal. When someone becomes a minister, they develop arrogance. Our ministers even fall at the feet of others for Delhiites. Yesterday, Saurabh Bhardwaj didn’t fall at BJP’s feet. Who is Saurabh Bhardwaj? He’s not just an individual; he’s a minister chosen by two crore people of Delhi. He’s your minister.”

Talking about the situation he added, “Yesterday, Saurabh Bhardwaj wasn’t at BJP’s feet; the democracy of this country was writhing at BJP’s feet. It’s very shameful. The party that was given 62 seats by the people, is falling at BJP’s feet, begging them to get bus marshals reinstated.”

The Former Delhi CM also assured the citizens that he will ensure that all works of Delhi get completed at full speed despite all the delays they had to face. “When I went to jail, they stopped road repairs and sewer maintenance at many places. We provide free medicines in hospitals, free medicines and tests in mohalla clinics. It had been running well for 8 years; everyone was getting free medicines. They put hurdles in it. God has sent us to this earth to earn some good deeds. Don’t be so arrogant for power. Don’t become so drunk with power that you start committing such terrible sins. If someone dies due to lack of medicines in hospitals, if people remain sick in hospitals due to lack of medicines, it will only harm us, the people of Delhi. But I’ve talked to Atishi ji; we will get everything back on track. road repairs have started. You must have seen, all over Delhi, our ministers and MLAs are out on the roads. We’ll soon start sewer cleaning too. The medicines and tests they stopped, we’ll restart those too.”

He added, “Today, there’s no democracy in Delhi. Earlier, our country had British rule; today, our country has LG rule. When I was in jail, I read a lot about Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Ashfaqulla Khan, about their lives. I was thinking about our Indian independence movement.” He questioned the current governance structure in Delhi, asking, “Did Bhagat Singh accept the gallows so that the British would leave and an LG would come to rule over Delhi? If Delhi’s public wants bus marshals, should the LG have the power to remove bus marshals? If Delhi’s public wants free medicines in hospitals, should the LG have the power to stop medicines? If Delhi’s public wants free tests, free treatment, should the LG have the power to stop treatment? If Delhi’s public wants free electricity, should the LG have the power to stop free electricity? People cast votes, they choose a government, that government should have full power. Today, the people of Delhi don’t have the right to elect a powerful government.”

Arvind Kejriwal also made a strong case for full statehood for Delhi, declaring, “I’m a very small man. Twelve years ago, nobody in this country knew who Kejriwal was. I don’t know what good deeds I had done that you people gave me so much respect, such a big responsibility. I used to work in Delhi’s slums. You lifted me from the slums and placed me in your hearts. Today, I’m taking an oath before you. We will make Delhi a full state, we will free Delhi from LG rule.”

Arvind Kejriwal shared personal reflections on his journey. He stated, “I made your electricity free, tell me, what crime did I commit? I made your electricity free, tell me, what crime did I commit? All the women of Delhi consider me their brother, I made bus fares free for my sisters, tell me, what wrong did I do? All the children in Delhi, I consider them my children, I made arrangements for good schools for them, tell me, what wrong did I do? PM Modi is saying that Kejriwal is giving free revdi, free revdi. I want to tell PM Modi ji, if providing good education to poor children is free revdi, then yes, Kejriwal is giving free revdi. If providing good treatment to Delhi’s people is free revdi, then yes, Kejriwal is giving free revdi.”

He defended his government’s welfare schemes, which he referred to as. He listed six main schemes: “First revdi: Free electricity. Second revdi: Free water. Third revdi: Free pilgrimage for the elderly. Fourth revdi: Free bus travel for women. Fifth revdi: Free and excellent education for all. Sixth revdi: Free good treatment for all.”

“We are already giving these six revdis, and the seventh revdi is coming soon – one thousand rupees each month in every woman’s bank account,” he announced.

He challenged the BJP’s criticism of these schemes, asking, “I want to ask you: Is the one who gives free electricity a thief, or is the one who makes electricity expensive a thief? Is the one who gives good education to children a thief, or is the one who makes children’s education expensive a thief? Is the one who gives free treatment a thief, or is the one who closes government hospitals a thief? Is the one who distributes revdi among the public a thief, or is the one who sells the entire country to his friend a thief?”

Cautioning the public against the BJP, he said, “If by mistake you vote for BJP in Delhi, they’ll give DTC to their friend, they’ll give electricity companies to their friend, they’ll give Delhi Jal Board to their friend, they’ll give all government schools in Delhi to their friend, and they’ll give all government hospitals in Delhi to their friend. Then you’ll see how much your bus fare will be, then you’ll see how much your electricity will cost. First, they’ll stop this free electricity. when I go to Gujarat, people of Gujarat ask BJP people, when Kejriwal has made electricity free in Punjab and Delhi, why haven’t you done it? So they don’t make electricity free in Gujarat. Now they want to stop free electricity in Delhi and Punjab.”

Addressing favoritisn and nepotism in politics, he said, “In all parties, when it comes to giving MP-MLA tickets, they give it to their children, don’t they? I’ve never given a ticket to any of my relatives. I’ve never given a ticket to my son. I’ve given tickets to your children. I’ve built schools for your children. I’ve always taken care of your children. Just now, when it came to making a new Chief Minister of Delhi, BJP people spread rumors that Kejriwal will make his wife the Chief Minister. My wife is not eager to become Chief Minister. We made our partyworker the Chief Minister of Delhi.”

He then made shocking allegations about his treatment in jail. “Friends, when I was inside the jail, they tried to torture me in various ways. They stopped my insulin, stopped my medicines. For the past ten years, I’ve been taking insulin injections four times a day in my stomach, four times a day – three times before meals and once before sleeping. Four injections every day. They stopped my insulin for fifteen days.”

Arvind Kejriwal directly addressed Home Minister Amit Shah on this issue: “I want to ask Amit Shah ji, Amit Shah ji also has diabetes, Amit ji also takes insulin injections. I want to ask if your insulin injections are stopped for fifteen days, what will happen to you? Amit Shah ji, you stopped my insulin injections in Tihar Jail for fifteen days. If your injections are stopped for fifteen days, what will happen to you? My kidney could have been damaged, I could have died from kidney failure. Was this your intention? Is this what you wanted?”

He continued his address with a call for honest politics. Referencing a recent tweet of a BJP leader, he emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity in politics, stating, “Is this the India we want? I am from the Aam Aadmi Party, someone is from BJP, someone from Congress, someone from Samajwadi Party, but we’re all from this country. Why are you using such abusive language? This is not our culture. This is not India’s culture. Today, I want to tell the Aam Aadmi Party workers: Never use abusive language. We may lose, we prefer losing, we accept losing, we don’t want power, but never engage in this kind of hooliganism and abusive language with anyone.”

He added, “Secondly, never contest elections dishonestly. We have proved for the first time in this country that elections can be fought honestly and won honestly. They are accusing us of collecting dishonest money to fight the Goa election. Today, I say with full responsibility that not a single dishonest rupee was used in Goa. If we had fought the Goa election with dishonest money, I wouldn’t be standing here today. I would have been rotting in jail for life.”

He concluded, “Today, I’m saying this with my head held high because I am honest. And today, I want to challenge again: If BJP has the courage, then conduct Delhi elections along with Maharashtra and Jharkhand in November. If not, then admit that they have lost, BJP is scared, they have lost. If not, then conduct elections now, we are ready to contest elections.”