Delhi Doesn't Need Part-Time Chief Minister Busy With Political Tours: BJP

Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi today lashed out Arvind Kejriwal, saying the city did not require a "part time chief minister" who was not concerned about its problems but was busy in "political tourism".

No immediate reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party government over Lekhi's charges.

Citing RTI replies, the senior BJP leader said out of over Rs 1,286 crore collected as environment cess in the past seven years, the Kejriwal government had spent only a little more than Rs 272 crore on fighting pollution.

No money was spent on creating infrastructure and training of personnel to combat pollution, she said.

"This person (Kejriwal) is doing nothing. Delhi does not need a part time chief minister who spends his time in political tourism for campaigning in poll bound states," the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture said at a press conference.

The Kejriwal government's "inaction" and "running away" from responsibilities are the reasons why a large number of elderly people and children are suffering from air pollution-related illnesses, she alleged.

"He had promised to build 10 smog towers but just one was constructed at a cost of Rs 22 crore. Even that is not working despite spending Rs 80 lakh on its maintenance every month," she claimed.

Lekhi asked Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to order a probe to find out why the smog tower was not functioning despite spending such a high amount on its maintenance.

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