Modi slams 'AAPda' govt amid big Delhi infra push

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday, likening Delhi's ruling party to a disaster and calling for the defeat of former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the upcoming assembly elections, while opening a string of big-ticket infrastructure and educational projects in the Capital.

- Alok KN Mishra

At the event in Ashok Vihar, Modi accused the Delhi government of blocking central schemes and sheltering corruption, and Kejriwal of building a "sheesh mahal" (shimmering palace) in what was a virtual launch of the Bharatiya Janata Party's assembly polls campaign.

"This is the capital of the country, and the residents of Delhi have dreamt of good governance. But for the past 10 years, Delhi has been surrounded by a major 'AAPda (disaster)'. Some extremely corrupt individuals, using Anna Hazare's image, have pushed Delhi into this AAPda," Modi said during his 43-minute speech.

He alleged scams in liquor contracts, schools, health care for the poor, fighting pollution, and recruitments. "These people talk about the development of Delhi, but they have descended upon Delhi as an 'AAPda'. They engage in open corruption and then glorify it...that's why the people of Delhi have launched a war against this 'AAPda'," he said.

"The voters of Delhi have resolved to free the city from this disaster. Every citizen of Delhi is saying, every child of Delhi is saying, voices are rising from every street in Delhi- 'We will not tolerate this AAPda, we will change it'," he added.

Modi was speaking after opening and laying the foundation stones of seven key projects-1,675 flats for the poor at Ashok Vihar for slum rehabilitation, two campuses and a new college for Delhi University (DU), a World Trade Centre (WTC) at Nauroji Nagar, government quarters in Sarojini Nagar, and an integrated office complex for the Central Bureau of Secondary Education in Dwarka, Elections in Delhi are likely to be held in February, when the AAP will seek a third full term, facing off against the BJP and the Congress. The party got an overwhelming majority five years ago with 62 seats in the 70-member assembly.