Arvind Kejriwal's AAP government has completed three years in office in Delhi.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said Delhi has been a victim of "dirty politics" as his government completed three years in power in the national capital today. Enumerating his government's achievements on the fronts of education, welfare and health, he said, "If we have done so much in three years, why couldn't the previous government do it?"
While the previous government was headed by Congress's Sheila Dikshit, who ruled Delhi for three consecutive terms, Arvind Kejriwal's government has been engaged in a bitter battle with the Lieutenant Governor, the Centre's representative in Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party contends that the BJP-led Central government has been out to control the Delhi government through the Lieutenant Governor.
Mr Kejriwal, who has been sued for defamation by Union Minister Arun Jaitley, did not name any party or individual in his address at the function held to celebrate the anniversary. But he spoke repeatedly of how his government has been stymied.
"We have been greatly harassed over the last three years," he said, citing the examples of mohalla clinics and the Lok Pal bill. "164 mohalla clinics were made... it could have been 1000, but the LG came in," the Chief Minister said, referring to his government's flagship primary healthcare project. The scheme had received Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's approval after months of back and forth.
Arvind Kejriwal also spoke of the CBI raids conducted in his office and some other ministers. "Nothing was found. I have to say - keep us in jail. Jail us. Don't trouble the Delhi'ites... Clear the files. This is for their development ," he said. The centre has returned more than a dozen bills passed by the Delhi assembly asking for clarifications - a matter that became the flashpoint last year.
The bills included the Jan Lokpal bill, which AAP had described as the strongest anti-corruption legislation in the country.