Modi scared of Kejriwal's growing popularity: AAP
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in "petty politics" after Delhi Lt Government V K Saxena refused to approve Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Singapore visit proposal.
At a press conference at the party headquarters, AAP legislators Atishi and Durgesh Pathak claimed the L-G did not approve Kejriwal's foreign visit because the prime minister was "scared" of his growing popularity.
Kejriwal has been invited by the Singapore government to attend a conference to be held in the first week of August. But Lt Governor of Delhi has returned his request, saying his attendance at the mayors' conference will set a "bad precedent".
Lt Governor Saxena advised Kejriwal to not attend the World Cities Summit in Singapore since it is a conference of mayors and won't be befitting for a chief minister to attend it, official sources said on Thursday.
Atishi charged, "He (Modi) is sacred because Kejriwal is emerging as a leader who can challenge him. He feels that Kejriwal will become a much bigger leader if he visits Singapore and gets appreciation for his government's work done in Delhi." "It's because the BJP-led Centre and its LG could not digest that leader from across the world wants to listen to Kejriwal," she charged. She said it be a "moment of pride" for India if Kejriwal tells the leaders from different parts of the world at the conference about the Delhi model of development and the works done by his government in providing basic amenities like water, electricity, quality education and healthcare.
"The BJP-led Central government and Prime Minister Modi hate Kejriwal so much so that they do not care about the pride of India. It sad that for petty politics and fear, Modi forgot about India," Atishi alleged.
AAP leader Durgesh Pathak alleged that the prime minister has started opposing the country while opposing Kejriwal.
"Nobody is bigger anti-national than Modi and his team," he charged. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in a statement, said that Kejriwal, in his capacity as chief minister, has approached the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking political clearance for his Singapore visit.
