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UP CM Yogi Adityanath attacked Arvind Kejriwal over his failed promises to keep the Yamuna river clean and slammed the AAP-led Rivergovernment over poor road infrastructure and sanitation.
CM Yogi Adityanath addressing a public event in Delhi. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday challenged Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers to take a bath in the Yamuna, referring to the high levels of pollutants and untreated sewage in the river that has been a political flashpoint between AAP and BJP for years.
“If as a Chief Minister, I and my ministers can take a dip in the Sangam in Prayagraj, then I want to ask the president of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, can he go and take a bath in Yamuna with his ministers?” Adityanath said during a public rally in Delhi. “If he has moral courage, he should respond,”
The UP CM’s remarks came after he took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, along with deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak, and other cabinet ministers.
CM Yogi further attacked Kejriwal over his failed promises to clean Yamuna, saying he should not be forgiven by the public. “These people have turned Delhi into a garbage dump. In recent days, Kejriwal has started taking repeatedly about Uttar Pradesh, but he should not forget that now people are looking at Uttar Pradesh as a model,” Adityanath remarked.
“They settled Bangladeshi infiltrators, Rohingyas here. These Bangladeshi infiltrators are being given Aadhaar cards through Aadhaar-making machines in the houses of Aam Aadmi Party leaders… Today, go and see the roads of Delhi and Noida, you will see the difference,” he added.
He said earlier people used to flock to Delhi for its Metro, road infrastructure and cleanliness, but under Kejriwal’s regime, it is impossible to say if “there is a pothole on the road or the road is in the pothole”.
Kejriwal Hits Back At CM Yogi
Within minutes, Kejriwal hit back at Adityanath’s challenge, saying that he has not been able to improve the condition of government schools in Uttar Pradesh despite being in power for 10 years.
“Govt schools are the worst in all 20 BJP ruled states. I’d suggest Yogi to take some lessons from our minister. We can send our education minister to UP to teach BJP how to improve educational infrastructure. We want UP government schools to be improved,” he said during a public meeting in Hari Nagar.
The former Delhi CM asserted that AAP has ensured 24×7 electricity in the national capital over the last 10 years of its regime. “BJP has been ruling UP for the past 10 years and with all humility, I want to ask Yogi ji, can he explain the long powercuts across his state? There are 10-hour powercuts in entire UP. What Kejriwal has done in Delhi, BJP could not do in even in a single of the 20 states they rule!”
He also warned Delhiites to not press the “wrong button” during the February 5 elections, saying the saffron party will “switch off your lights and fans” permanently.
Kejriwal Acknowledges 3 ‘Unfulfilled Promises’
Last week, Kejriwal admitted that he could not fulfil three promises – cleaning of Yamuna river, providing clean drinking water and making Delhi’s roads of European standard. He said these tasks will be carried out in the next five years if AAP is re-elected in the assembly polls.
Addressing a gathering in Laxmi Bai Nagar, Kejriwal said, “I am truthful to my promises. Either I fulfil them or I remind that I promised but couldn’t do it. I could not fulfill three promises – first cleaning the Yamuna, second, providing clean drinking water and third making Delhi’s roads of European standards.”
“In the summer of 2014 there used to be power cuts for 10 hours. We have made sure that Delhi receives electricity for 24 hours. BJP has government in 20 states yet they don’t provide electricity for 24 hours. Delhi also has the cheapest electricity,” he added.
(with ANI inputs)
