Around 1,300 people were caught violating the Odd-Even rule in Delhi yesterday and fined. (PTI photo)
Highlights
- War of words between AAP govt and BJP as second phase of odd-even begins
- 'Kejriwal wants to spend tax money on propaganda', said BJP's Vijay Goel
- Delhi CM blames BJP of provoking an auto strike on Monday
The political heat in Delhi is giving stiff competition to the capital's scorching summer as
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the
BJP clashed over the second phase of
Odd-Even car rationing scheme.
With a union calling an auto strike on Monday, which, if successful, will cause commuters considerable trouble, the Chief Minister is absolutely livid.
On Saturday morning, accusing the BJP of engineering the strike, Mr Kejriwal tweeted:He also posted a barrage of newspaper cutouts and tweets that pitched the program as a success.Vijay Goel, former chief of the BJP in Delhi, has called the scheme, which catapulted Mr Kejriwal to
Fortune magazine's list of 50 greatest leaders in the world, a mere photo op and a publicity stunt.
"Arvind Kejriwal only wants to spend on people's tax money for propaganda and he is not interested in reducing pollution and traffic," Mr Goel said today.
Lashing out at Odd-Even posters plastered across Delhi that show a smiling Mr Kejriwal urging people to follow the rules, the BJP leader had said on Monday that he
would violate them just as a mark of protest.
Streets had relatively empty yesterday in most areas of Delhi. (AFP photo)
While streets had remained largely empty on Friday - the first day of the 15-day scheme - many attributed it to a public holiday for
Ram Navami.
Around 1,300 people were caught violating the rule and fined. Over 11,00 violators were fined on Saturday.
Weather experts also said that gains from
fewer cars on roads failed to ease pollution yesterday as polluted winds blew in over the city from the North West. On Saturday however, early data showed a slight improvement in air quality, the Centre's pollution monitoring body SAFAR said.