AAP hits back; says BJP, Cong misleading over house taxes

The AAP on Tuesday said that the BJP and the Congress are misleading people on the abolition of house tax by saying that it cannot be done.

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Delhi Convener Dilip Pandey said both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress were giving false and misleading statements ever since AAP announced that they will abolish house tax and waiver of the arrears if it came to power in civic bodies.

"People in BJP and Congress who used to make money on the pretext of house tax are rattled with this announcement. That is why both the parties are misleading the people of Delhi on the matter," Pandey said.

He said the AAP had made it clear that Delhi would be the first city where there would be no house tax. "Delhi people are welcoming the AAP's promise of abolishing house tax but BJP and Congress are worried. Why are they against the interests of the people?" Pandey asked.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, on Sunday, had also said that the promise is feasible and will be implemented properly if voted in power in the upcoming Municipal polls.

The Deputy CM had attacked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, the two parties that have been running the Corporations for more than two decades, for claiming that parliamentary approval is needed for waiving off house taxes. "Both BJP and Congress have been saying that abolition of house tax is not possible as the civic bodies are not entitled to scrapping it, which is absolutely a misleading statement. The MCDs, under the DMC Act, have powers to scrap it and no parliamentary approval is required," said the Deputy CM.

Alleging that the Opposition parties have their vested interest in House taxes, Sisodia said: "Our assurance of house tax abolishment and waiving off of arrears was made after study of laws and finances. Citizens of Delhi are happy with the announcement as they realize the racket involved in House tax."