Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari has promised "not to stop free water, free power" schemes being implemented by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party government, if the party comes to power in the February 8 assembly elections.
Replying to questions from Rajat Sharma in India TV show 'Aap Ki Adalat', to be telecast tonight at 10 pm, Tiwari said: "We are not going to stop this (free water, free power). We will rather give more, but we will not reduce" (Jo bhi cheez hua, hum us sey zyada hi karengey, kam nahin karne waale).
Tiwari pointed out that the AAP government had given these 'free water, free power' sops only for the last three months. He promised that if elected to power, BJP would give more than these free sops for the next five years to Delhites.
"Let Kejriwal tell the people how much monetary benefit he has given to the average Delhite in the last 5 years. We will give five times more monetary benefit than what he has given. If we fail, I promise I will leave politics", said the state BJP chief.
Citing calculations, Tiwari said, "Even if we assume that with 200 free units of power for three months ending January, an average Delhite saved Rs 800 per month, it comes to only Rs 2,400. In 2015, we had promised 30 per cent cut in power tariff. Had it been implemented, we could have given Rs 20 to 22 thousand benefit in five years."
The Delhi BJP chief said: "For women, Kejriwal made bus travel free for only three months. If a woman saves Rs 300 per month on average, it comes to only Rs 900."
Tiwari pointed out that "farmers in Delhi were being charged 12 times more power tariff compared to farm power tariff in Haryana. Traders in Delhi are paying two and a half times more commercial power tariff compared to Haryana."
On water, he alleged that "Delhi Jal Board, which was earning Rs 600 crore profit five years ago, is now facing Rs 168 crore loss this year. The entire losses of DJB have mounted to Rs 800 crore, and the board has no money to pay salary to its staff and carry out repair works on pipelines."
"People in Delhi are getting dirty water to drink. Is this what they call free water? We promise that, if elected, we will give clean drinking water and in three and a half years, people in Delhi need not use RO purifiers."
Outlining his party's vision for Delhi, Tiwari said, apart from clean water supply, air pollution in the capital will be reduced by 70 per cent, 5,000 new DTC buses would be inducted and the entire Yamuna riverfront will be developed for tourists.
Tiwari said, the BJP government at the Centre has given ownership rights to 40 lakh houses built in unauthorized colonies. "All these houses had been earmarked for demolition earlier and registers had been prepared. All those registers are now redundant. We will give Rs 20-50 lakh loans to these house owners. "
On anti-CAA protests in Delhi, the state BJP chief alleged that "Muslims are being misguided by a particular section, which is injecting poison of hatred in their minds."
He alleged that "NRC is being deliberately added to CAA to strike fear in the minds of Muslims. There is no plan yet for implementing NRC and the draft is yet to be prepared."
Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari in Rajat Sharma's show 'Aap Ki Adalat' was telecast on Saturday (January 18) at 10 pm on India TV. Repeat telecasts of this show will take place on Sunday (January 19) at 10 am and 10 pm.
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