Participating in a discussion ‘How to empower citizens through efficient public service system’ organised to mark the implementation of Right to Public Service with Nitish Kumar, Kejriwal tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre. “The Central government is anti-poor and anti-farmer.
It talks about cooperative <g data-gr-id="41">federalism,</g> but does just opposite. It declared null and void our decision to enhance per acre acquisition compensation to farmers in Delhi from Rs 57 lakh to Rs 3.5 crore. Actually it is a <g data-gr-id="32">null-and void</g> government working at the Centre,” Kejriwal said. “The DNA of Bihar has been questioned despite the fact that the entire history of our country is full of great persons from this state. They (BJP) had done the same mistake before Delhi polls when I was called a <g data-gr-id="33">naxal</g> and my ‘gotra’ (lineage) was said to be of an ‘upadravi’ (anarchist). The people told it that they would not remain silent.” Kejriwal was referring to Modi’s attack on Kumar at a political rally at Muzaffarpur.
The Delhi CM also slammed the prime minister over the way he had announced Rs 1.25 lakh crore special package for Bihar at a recent function at Ara. “It seemed as if he was auctioning Bihar by asking how <g data-gr-id="37">much package</g> should be given, whether Rs 60,000 crore or Rs 70,000 crore. It was an effort to buy the people of Bihar. The people of this state cannot be bought so <g data-gr-id="36">cheap</g>. They will not remain silent and give a befitting reply for this,” he added.
Kejriwal said there were two models of governance in the country. The one at the Centre wants to take away land from farmers and the people were disenchanted with it. The other is the Delhi government which works for the people and not merely for the rich and corporate houses.
Bihar polls: NDA seat-sharing deal likely by Sept first week
With its allies mounting pressure, BJP on Thursday indicated that it will finalise <g data-gr-id="82">seat-sharing</g> deal with them for the Bihar Assembly polls by the first week of September. Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies had set off a “storm of change” in the state which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his foe-turned-ally Lalu Prasad have ruled for 25 years between them, the saffron party said over 60 lakh people had attended more than 50,000 public meetings organised by it so far.