The Aam Aadmi Party today launched its Lok Sabha poll campaign from Delhi with the slogan, Sansad mein bhi Kejriwal, tabhee Dilli hogee aur khushahaal (With Kejriwal in Parliament also, Delhi will be more prosperous). Urging the Delhi voters to elect all the 7 Lok Sabha candidates of the INDIA alliance to strengthen his hands, Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal said the BJP MPs elected from Delhi never raised the concerns of Delhiites in the Parliament.
AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Mann, AAP Delhi State Convenor Shri Gopal Rai and the four Lok Sabha candidates from Delhi _ Somnath Bharti, Mahabal Mishra, Sahiram Pehalwan and Kuldeep Kumar _ held out the leaflet, giving details of the works done by the Kejriwal government in the presence of other party leaders and workers. AAP National General Secretary (Organisation) Dr Sandeep Pathak was also present on the dais at the launch of the campaign before the media.
Welcoming his Punjab counterpart on joining the Lok Sabha poll campaign launch, Shri Arvind Kejriwal said our launch slogan is “With Kejriwal in Parliament also, Delhi will be more prosperous”. He said the Aam Aadmi Party was formed 12 years ago and about 10-11 years ago, the people of Delhi gave us a lot of love and trust and made us win by giving us a huge majority and formed the Aam Aadmi Party government. We are very small people, humble people, but the love and trust that the people of Delhi have reposed in us and given us such a big responsibility, I will always be grateful to the people of Delhi for giving such a big responsibility and such a big chair to a small man. Even if I continue serving the people of Delhi for seven lifetimes, I will not be able to repay their favour. “I have also tried my best to never consider myself the Chief Minister. I have tried my best by becoming a son of every family of Delhi, by becoming a part of every family of 2 crore people living in Delhi. I have tried to overcome their problems, to be their support. If someone in any family in Delhi falls ill, I feel pain in my heart, ” he said.
Narrating the story of an old lady, the Delhi Chief Minister said that two days back he saw an old lady telling a TV reporter that her life was saved because of Kejriwal. “He asked how? The Amma said, I have had bypass surgery, it cost Rs 8 lakh, my son does not even earn Rs 10-15000 a month, he could not afford it. All my treatment in Kejriwal's hospital became free, I did not have to pay a single penny. Today I am alive only because of Kejriwal. I want to tell that mother that it is because of your blessings that where I am today is because of you, so whatever I am doing is my duty. It is my endeavour to find out how I can help the family of every Delhiite and how to overcome their family's problems, ” he said.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said that it is his endeavour to ensure that every child of Delhi gets the same good education that his children got. “God has given me a lot and I try to ensure that every poor person in my Delhi should also get the same treatment I get. No one should be deprived of medical treatment due to lack of money. Today, electricity is available 24 hours in Delhi. There are only two states in the entire country where there is 24 hours electricity _ Delhi and Punjab. In other states there are long power cuts. Industries do not get electricity, commercial establishments do not get electricity, even homes do not get electricity. There are power cuts of 7-8 hours across the country, only Delhi and Punjab have full electricity. Today, Delhi and Punjab are the only two states where you get free electricity, in the rest of the country electricity is so expensive that many people spend their entire salary in paying electricity bills, ” he said.
The AAP National Convenor said that a lot of work has been done which is mentioned in the leaflet that has just been issued. “Our workers will go to every house to distribute this leaflet _ all the jobs done have been written in it. But when I was doing this work, these BJP people, LG (Lieutenant Governor) and the central government tried to stop all your work. Every good work that I try to do for you, these people try to stop. Why? These people hate you, they hate the 2 crore people of Delhi because you dared to elect an ordinary man as your Chief Minister for 3 times consecutively. This is your fault; this is why they are after you. Because the people of Delhi elected an ordinary man as the CM of Delhi, the BJP people are seeking revenge, including the LG and the Central Government, ” he said.
Recounting the instances when the BJP-ruled Centre or LG impeded the AAP government schemes, Shri Arvind Kejriwal said, “If you remember, about 5-6 years ago, when I was setting up the Mohalla clinics in Delhi and the MCD was under the BJP government, they demolished those Mohalla clinics with their bulldozers. These were government healthcare clinics, which were established by the government of Delhi and they demolished those healthcare facilities with their bulldozers. What kind of people stoop down to such level?”
Shri Arvind Kejriwal further talked about the issues he faced during getting the CCTVs installed in Delhi. He stated, “I’m proud to say that today Delhi is the leading city in terms of CCTV camera density. Every Delhiite is proud of it. I am not making any bogus claims, this was reported by Forbes in their magazine in 2021. We were able to install the highest number of CCTV cameras in Delhi within 5 years of our governance. The LG tried to create obstructions in that too, he kept the file on hold for a long time. It was that time when I, along with Gopal Rai, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain protested inside his home to get the cameras installed in Delhi.”
“We wanted to give free ration to everyone, they held the file for that too. Last year, they cut off the power of Mohalla clinics for two months. They stopped the rent for these Mohalla clinics. They stopped the supply of medicines in these Mohalla clinics. All of this was done by the LG and the Central Government. They stopped all the tests in the Mohalla clinics. How can someone be so cruel to stop the treatment of the poor? How can there be so much hatred towards the poor? They even stopped people from practicing yoga. I had started free yoga classes for over 17, 000 people, where yoga teachers were guiding their students and they stopped that too”, he added.
“We had a scheme called the ‘Farishtey Scheme’, where anyone who meets with an accident in Delhi, would get free treatment in the most expensive private hospitals, completely at our expense. We saved 23, 000 lives with that scheme. The LG stopped that scheme too. I went to the Supreme Court and got the order to resume the scheme. I kept fighting and did not let any of your work stop, no matter how many hurdles the BJP created. They stopped the medicines and tests last year, I fought with them to bring it back in service.”
Criticising the 7 Lok Sabha members from Delhi for not raising the issues of Delhiites in the Parliament, the Delhi Chief Minister said, “Now I want to ask where were the 7 MPs you had elected during all of this? When your medicine supply, education, and yoga were being stopped? Where were these 7 MPs? They were clapping and celebrating. When any of your family members falls sick, they celebrate. When your children’s education gets stopped, these MPs celebrate. When your children and your family yearn for something, they celebrate. And we are serving such people. Why? When the ordinance was getting passed in the Parliament and the rights of Delhiites were being taken away, where were these 7 MPs? They were clapping. They go to the LG to stop your work. Why do we still vote for such people?”
Talking about the hurdles he had to face for getting the electricity subsidy extended till March 31, 2025, Shri Arvind Kejriwal said, “Yesterday, I passed the electricity subsidy in Delhi, and I cannot explain how much I’ve had to fight for it. We only want them to do good work for the people, just like we are doing. We have provided 24 hours electricity in Delhi, why don’t you do it in the states where you have the government, like UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat? We have made electricity free, why don’t you do it? But they say that neither we will do it, nor we will let you do it. I can’t tell you how much I fought to get your electricity subsidy approved. Now you’ll get free power supply for the next one year.”
The CM then appealed to the people of Delhi to vote for the AAP in the upcoming elections so that they can have more strength in their fight against the atrocities of the BJP and their government. He said, “Today, I’m alone in this fight, in my fight against the LG, against the BJP, against these 7 MPs, against the Central Government. You call me your son, but if I am truly your son, then you cannot leave me alone in this fight. Today, I am appealing to all of you, the people of Delhi, to boost your son’s strength.”
The AAP National Convenor said, “I appeal to you all to strengthen your son. Once you gave me 67 out of 70 seats, you strengthened me. Another time, you gave me 62 out of 70 seats in the legislative assembly. I am very grateful. Today, I am able to fight against them, albeit a bit, because of this very reason. Whatever little I am able to achieve, it's also because of this reason, that you gave such a huge majority. If you had given 40 seats out of 70, then the BJP would have toppled my government, by intimidating and buying my MLAs. This is your blessings, grace, and love, that you gave me 62 out of 70 seats.”
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said just like you strengthened my hand in the legislative assembly, now strengthen my hand in the parliament. “Give me all 7 MPs in the Parliament, those belonging to the INDIA alliance, these 7 MPs will work as my 7 big hands. Next time, the LG will stop our work, these 7 MPs will get the work done. If the central government tries to stop our work next time, the 7 MPs will work to clear the hurdles. Next time, your rights are snatched in the Parliament, these seven MPs will raise your voice in the Parliament. I have come to ask you this today: these 7 MPs, if they come with us, your son's hands will be strengthened, and no one will dare to stop your work, ” he said.
The Delhi Chief Minister further said that they (BJP) are saying everywhere, ‘we are getting 370 seats. We don't need people from Delhi’, they don't need Delhiites. They (BJP) openly say that they are getting 370 seats. They (BJP) don't need votes from Delhiites. They don't need MPs from Delhi. “I need you. I need Delhiites and 2.5 crore people of Delhi. I love Delhiites. They hate you. Give 7 MPs to me, I'll come to every house of yours with my volunteers to ask for votes. They won't come, they don't need you. They have become arrogant; they are very arrogant. Give votes to those who need them. Why are you giving votes to those who don't need them?” he said.
Telling the denizens that his government can do wonders with their support, Shri Arvind Kejriwal said, “I have just announced for women, to provide Rs 1000 per month. I was watching a TV channel, and the women were very happy. Going to every street, every TV channel is asking, ‘Are women happy?’ Every woman is saying, this is so good that they can't even believe this. Will it happen? Is it possible? I want to say to all mothers and sisters that in the last 10 years, such works have been done which were never thought of before. Did anyone imagine that electricity could be free and available 24x7. It never happened anywhere in the world. During Kejriwal's time, who knows what miracles are still left to happen?” he said.
Assuring the womenfolk of giving them financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month, the Delhi Chief Minister said, “I'm telling all the women, ‘I am here, I will ensure you get Rs 1000’. The budget has been passed; I am not making any announcement. I have come after passing the budget, it has been passed in the legislative assembly, and this will be implemented. Just bless me, I’m asking for this in return. Make my 7 MPs win so that I get more strength, ” he added.
The AAP National Convenor shared, “You elect all the BJP MPs, what do you get? They (BJP MPs) only work to stop your work and do nothing else. Traders have suffered so much in the last 10 years. Demonetization happened once, and GST came once. Once they imposed something on diamond traders. Many times, traders have suffered. Did any MP from Delhi raise your voice? I want to ask traders: Did any MP from Delhi raise your voice? No BJP MP has courage to raise your voice, the BJP will immediately suppress the MPs. The BJP will say, ‘How dare these people speak against the BJP’. I will become your voice; all our MPs will become your voice.”
“In Delhi, there is the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). We don't have any say in DDA. If you give us 7 MPs, your voice will be heard. We will get your work done in the DDA. Delhi Police is under them; if you give us 7 MPs, we will get all your work done in Delhi Police. In Delhi, there are so many central government institutions where the voice of Delhiites is not heard. In all these places, Delhi's MPs will become your voice. In the next month or two, whenever the election is, our party workers will go door-to-door, and the entire Delhi will be canvassed three or four times. AAP workers will come, touch your feet, fold their hands, plead, appeal, pray to you, and ask for your vote. They (BJP) don't want your votes, but I want your blessings.” Shri Arvind Kejriwal concluded.