'Loans of rich would have been waived but no money for sanitation workers': Kejriwal slams Centre

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday slammed the Centre, saying it would have "immediately waived loans" of "a few rich people" but not giving money for poor municipal sanitation workers who were on strike for the last three weeks.

The BJP accused the Kejriwal of "lying" over the funds given by the Centre to the EDMC.

The sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) went on strike on September 12 demanding payment of their dues including salaries and regularisation of contract-based workers.

The Delhi CM claimed the municipal corporations have to be paid Rs 5000 crore by the Centre.

"Last week Delhi government on the advice of Supreme Court paid Rs 500 crore to the MCD. The Centre today denied to pay Rs 500 crore, despite advice of the Supreme Court, although it has to pay Rs 5000 crore to the MCD. Is BJP responsible to Delhi like this? Then why should Delhiites vote for you (BJP) in LS election," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

"It is so sad. If it were loans of a few rich people they (Centre) would have done it immediately but not paying money for sanitation in Delhi and poor sanitation workers," he said in another tweet.

Leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta charged Kejriwal of lying on the issue.

"Delhi Chief Minister has lied big that EDMC was given Rs 950 crore. The reality is Rs 350 crore of this amount is loan on which Delhi government is charging interest at 10.50 per cent rate from the helpless EDMC," Gupta said in a tweet.

The Delhi government has "deliberately hidden" the facts and it is "dishonest" on its part to project "inflated figures" as grant-in-aid which in fact include loan amount and interest thereon, the BJP leader said