AAP, BJP cross swords over Purvanchali voters
RWAs will get funds to hire pvt security guards: Kejriwal’s poll promise
New Delhi: With an eye on the Purvanchali vote bank in Delhi, the ruling AAP and the Opposition BJP on Friday crossed swords over the honour and welfare of migrants from Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh as both parties claimed to be their true well-wisher.
While the BJP women wing held a protest outside AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s house over his “anti-Purvanchali” comments, the former Chief Minister countered by claiming that he had given a dignified life to Purvanchalis by providing civic and health facilities in unauthorised colonies and slums where they live.
The poll-bound city is witnessing a battle over Purvanchalis with BJP protesting against Kejriwal’s comment on Thursday in which he allegedly called people from Purvanchal “fake voters” and the AAP has been accusing the saffron party of indulging in politics.
Kejriwal took to damage control on Friday by blaming the BJP’s central government for not carrying out any development in the unauthorised colonies that are home to the community.
"People from Purvanchal come here and live in slums. Before 2014, it was difficult to live in these slums. It was a life of hell, with mud and sludge everywhere. There was no development. According to the Supreme Court and central government orders, no development could take place there. More than 90 per cent of the people in these slums are from Purvanchal. I want to ask the BJP, what have you done for slums in the last 10 years?" said Kejriwal.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said Kejriwal’s remarks last evening, where he called people from Purvanchal “fake voters,” have once again revealed the dark truth of his mindset. Meanwhile, Kejriwal promised to provide funds for the hiring of private security guards by Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs).
Kejriwal said the private security guard proposal would enhance public security which has been a priority for the ruling party that had earlier installed CCTV cameras and colony gates.
“The security guard proposal is based on feedback received from people. It is timely as people are feeling insecure due to a spurt in crime in the city,” he said, accusing the BJP’s Central government of not doing enough to check crime in the city.
“The BJP may not be worried about the residents of Delhi but for us citizens are like family, and we want to give them a sense of security,” he said. He said now the Delhi government will fund RWAs for hiring private security guards and the number of security guards in each colony will be based on the number of families in the RWA.
Kejriwal said hiring private security guards by RWAs is just a measure to instill a feeling of safety among residents and in no manner an attempt to “replace police who are responsible for providing security”.
The AAP National Convener hoped the posting of private security guards would help regulate the movement of unauthorised persons in colonies and prevent petty crimes.
