Lt Governor's Assurance On Subsidies, AAP Says Win For Arvind Kejriwal

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Saturday said electricity, water and bus fare subsidies will continue in Delhi as these schemes do not belong to any party and asked people not to pay attention to statements from "vested political interests" that the schemes will be stopped as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in jail.

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Mr Saxena's statement was a victory for the AAP chief and stressed that till Mr Kejriwal is the Chief Minister of Delhi, all public works will be carried out and the subsidy schemes will continue.

In a press statement issued by Raj Niwas, the LG said rumours were being propagated that the central government and the lieutenant governor would stop the subsidy schemes.

"The schemes are part of the budget approved by the Government of India and Lt Governor, and these do not belong to an individual or a political party. Therefore, the question of a scheme getting affected does not arise just because an individual is in jail," the LG said.

The statement comes in the backdrop of the Aam Aadmi Party alleging that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested as part of a conspiracy to stop such schemes introduced by his government in Delhi.

Mr Kejriwal is in judicial custody till April 15 after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to now scrapped excise policy of his government. The BJP has been demanding Kejriwal's resignation.

Referring to LG's statement, Mr Bharadwaj said, "It is a significant victory for Chief Minister Kejriwal that even while in jail he has compelled the LG to say that work and free schemes will continue." Mr Saxena has taken serious note of "patently false and deliberately misleading" statements by members of a particular political party and its ministers that the schemes and subsidies related to "free" electricity, water and bus rides for women will be stopped since Chief Minister Kejriwal is in jail, the statement said.

Mr Bharadwaj said that those who used to say that they would not allow the Kejriwal government to be run from jail have "admitted defeat" that it will run from jail and its works will continue.

"Arvind Kejriwal had promised Delhi people that he will not let any work be stopped whether he is in jail or out of it," he said in a Delhi government statement.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged that Mr Saxena "always tried to obstruct the work of the people of Delhi" through his "favourite officers".

Now, the LG is also saying that the work and schemes of the people will continue in Delhi, instead of stopping the work, he said.

The LG's statement said that he has assured the people of Delhi that none of the subsidy schemes benefitting the poor would be discontinued.

He appealed to them to not pay heed to statements and rumours being spread by "vested political interests".

Mr Saxena underlined that these schemes are paid for by the consolidated fund of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) and not from the account of any individual or political party.

These schemes are funded by the people of Delhi themselves who contribute to the NCTD's consolidated fund by way of taxes, the statement added.

Mr Saxena reiterated that any scheme especially duly approved by the Government of India and the Lt Governor himself before being introduced and passed by the Delhi Legislative Assembly does not get affected because an individual is in jail under judicial custody as per the due process of law.

Mr Bharadwaj said in a post on X, "The ideology which used to call free water and free electricity as 'revadi' is today promising the people of Delhi that no one can stop Arvind Kejriwal's schemes.

"People of Delhi, this is the power of your son, Arvind Kejriwal. This is the blessing of the people of Delhi to Kejriwal.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)