Kejriwal blames BJP, RSS for caste tensions in Maharashtra

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday blamed the BJP-RSS for the recent violence at Koregaon Bhima resulting caste tension in Maharashtra. Addressing a public meeting at Sindhkhedraja in Buldhana district of Maharashtra after paying homage to Jijabai, the mother of warrior king Shivaji, the AAP supremo said the Maratha king had worked to achieve an all-inclusive society. The meeting was held on the occasion of Jijabai's birth anniversary.

"We condemn the Bhima Koregaon violence which was done after the attack by the BJP-RSS supporters. BJP wants to instigate riots, on the basis of caste and religion in India," he said. The Delhi CM also criticized the Maharashtra government which is ruled by the BJP for allowing private schools to flourish allegedly at the cost of government schools, saying that a government that could not run schools had no right to rule.

The AAP leader pointed out that when he became the chief minister of Delhi three years ago, the condition of the government schools was bad in the national capital. "Only the poor used to send their children to the government schools then. In three years, we have started 300 new state-of-the-art government schools with modern amenities," he said. Stating that his government had conducted an audit of the power companies in the national capital, Kejriwal said "today, Delhi has the cheapest power tariff", whereas earlier it had the highest tariff.

He also emphasised in the agrarian crisis of India and said that a farmer movement is needed in this country. Talking about the development in the rural sector of Delhi he said, "We gave Rs 50,000 per hectare to the farmers in Delhi when they faced a crop-loss due to unseasonal rains."