Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a sharp three-point counterattack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday after the latter accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of corruption and branded it “AAPda” (disaster). Kejriwal turned the tables, asserting that the real disaster lay within the BJP itself.
“The disaster isn’t in Delhi; it’s within the BJP,” Kejriwal declared. “The first disaster is that the BJP doesn’t have a Chief Ministerial face. The second is that the BJP has no narrative. The third is that the BJP has no agenda for the Delhi elections.”
मुझे गाली-गलौच की राजनीति नहीं आती, मुझे काम की राजनीति आती है।
दिल्ली की जनता को गाली देने के बजाय, मोदी जी कृपया यह बताएं कि केंद्र की बीजेपी सरकार ने दिल्लीवालों के लिए क्या काम किए हैं? pic.twitter.com/gUFpyHsBgo
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 3, 2025
PM Modi’s Allegations
The verbal duel erupted after PM Modi, while inaugurating a housing project for slum dwellers in Delhi, accused the AAP government of alleged scams and corruption. “They have committed a liquor scam, school scam, and pollution scam. They are openly engaging in corruption and even publicising it. It is a disaster (AAPda) for Delhi, and the residents have declared war against this disaster,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister also emphasized his commitment to the welfare of Delhi’s underprivileged, stating, “I could have built a sheeshmahal (glass palace), but my dream is that my countrymen should get permanent houses.”
Kejriwal’s Response
Kejriwal responded swiftly, taking a dig at Modi’s reference to a sheeshmahal. He said, “Mention of a sheeshmahal doesn’t sound appropriate coming from someone who built a house worth Rs 2,700 crore for himself, flies on a plane worth Rs 8,400 crore, and wears suits worth Rs 10 lakh.”
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The AAP convenor also criticized the BJP for failing to deliver on promises made to Delhi residents. He pointed out that the BJP’s 2020 manifesto had assured pucca houses for all in Delhi by 2022. However, he highlighted that only 4,700 homes had been handed over in five years.
“In 2020, the PM promised homes for everyone in Delhi by 2022. Today, in 2025, he has handed over keys to 1,700 homes and previously gave keys to 3,000 houses in Kalkaji. That’s 4,700 homes in five years,” Kejriwal remarked, calling out the disparity between the promises and delivery.
Housing Crisis in Delhi
Kejriwal painted a grim picture of the housing crisis in Delhi, emphasizing that “Delhi has 4 lakh slums, and 15 lakh people need homes. It seems their manifesto was meant for 200 years, not five.”
Accusing the Prime Minister of dedicating 39 minutes of his 43-minute speech in Delhi to criticizing the AAP government, Kejriwal asserted that even three hours wouldn’t suffice to list the development work his party has carried out in Delhi over the past decade.
