Page 24 - Aap

Delhi polls: Several leaders hit the streets in AAP's padyatra campaign

The Aam Aadmi Party intensified its "Padyatra" campaign on Tuesday by taking to streets in several Assembly constituencies and asking people to bring back Arvind Kejriwal in the February 2025 election. Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia at Krishna Nagar constituency claimed that the people understand that the BJP means "clogged drains, expensive electricity, poor condition of schools." He said the BJP got AAP convener Kejriwal arrested to preventing him from working for the people. Both Kejriwal and Sisodia, arrested in connection with an excise policy case, were released after several months' stay in Tihar jail. "Now people will bring Arvind Kejriwal's government for another five years," he said during the campaign. Party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in Matiala constituency alleged that if the people voted for the BJP, it would stop all "free services" given to them by the AAP government. "Kejriwal is giving Delhiites free electricity, water, education, healthcare, fre

DCW ends services of contractual staff, Kejriwal assures of reinstatement

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused the BJP of snatching the livelihoods of hundreds of contractual employees of the DCW before Diwali and assured them that they will be reinstated. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in an order earlier on Monday discontinued the services of all its contractual staff with immediate effect. Kejriwal assured the affected workers that his party would fight to get their jobs reinstated. "I assure my sisters who have been fired from DCW that I will get them their jobs back, no matter what it takes," the former Delhi chief minister said in a post on X. Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia criticised the BJP for dismissing the contractual staff at the DCW, calling it a direct contradiction of the saffron party's promises of job creation in its manifestos. The BJP has done wrong by snatching the jobs of people just before Diwali. Their manifestos talk about giving employment, but

Criticism is everyone's right, not levelling defamatory allegations: BJP

The BJP said on Tuesday that everyone in politics has a right to criticise but those levelling defamatory allegations will have to suffer consequences, as the Supreme Court cleared the way for AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal to face trial in a defamation case for remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications. BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that Kejriwal's conduct towards PM Modi has been utterly irresponsible, saying it need not be told the kind of "abuses" he has heaped on Modi. Prasad said Kejriwal offered to tender an apology during the hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday but it was declined. He has become an expert in tendering apologies, the BJP leader said, adding he has apologised 10 times to different leaders, including Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and Kapil Sibal, for his defamatory remarks. In a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Prasad described him as a companion of Kejriwal and noted that the Congress leader has also been facing defamati

Not working, only blaming others is in AAP's DNA, says CM Nayab Saini

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday kept up the attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, saying not doing any work and only levelling allegations is in their DNA. Saini on Sunday said the AAP government has a tendency to lie and shift the blame on others for its own shortcomings after Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said the "dirty politics" of the BJP was responsible for the growing air and water pollution in the national capital. Not doing work and only levelling allegations is in their (AAP) DNA, Saini told reporters here Monday evening. Atishi had given a clean chit to AAP-ruled Punjab and blamed 'parali' (paddy stubble) burning, diesel buses and brick kilns in BJP-ruled Haryana for the poor air quality in Delhi. The Delhi chief minister had slammed the BJP, saying the froth in the Yamuna River in Delhi was because of untreated industrial wastewater released in the river by Haryana. When asked about Atishi's allegations on Sunday, Saini had targeted the AA

BJP slams Kejriwal for pricey items at Flagstaff bungalow, Atishi hits back

The BJP on Sunday, citing an unverified inventory, alleged that crores of rupees were spent on state-of-the-art household goods including a "missing" hi-tech toilet seat in the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow which was occupied for over nine years by the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi chief minister. Kejriwal after stepping down as the Delhi chief minister vacated the Flagstaff Road bungalow earlier this month. No immediate reaction was available from the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government which owns and allots the bungalow, on the inventory of items shared by the BJP. The bungalow was allotted to Kejriwal's successor Atishi who has yet to take its possession. Atishi in a press conference replying to the charges of the saffron party said "BJP can keep the house and allot it to any of its leaders. We don't care about the house, bungalow or car. We will work for the people of Delhi, even if we have to work from the street." BJP national IT department head Amit ..

AAP habitual of lying, blaming others for their shortcomings: CM Saini

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party's government in Delhi saying it has a tendency to lie and shift blame on others for its own shortcomings. He criticised the AAP dispensation for consistently pointing fingers at others "while failing to acknowledge its own failures." Saini's response came after Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, earlier in the day, said the "dirty politics" of the BJP is responsible for growing air and water pollution in the national capital. According to a Haryana government statement released on late Sunday evening, Saini said that the BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand) of the water supplied to Delhi from Haryana is about 2-3 mg per litre. "Apart from this, the BOD of the water supplied to Delhi through the CLC canal is equal to zero. But the Delhi government should tell who is responsible for the pollution in the 28 drains that carry water from the Delhi border to Okhla," Saini said. He said that the AAP government has a .

Punjab Assembly elections: AAP names candidates for all four seats

The AAP on Sunday released a list of candidates for the November 13 bypolls to four assembly seats in Punjab. The party shared the list on X. The bypolls to the four assembly seats were necessitated after MLAs representing them were elected to the Lok Sabha. The AAP has fielded Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, who joined the party after quitting the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in August, from Gidderbaha. Once considered close to SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Dhillon (57) had unsuccessfully contested elections from Gidderbaha seat on the party's tickets in 2017 and 2022 and served as chairman of Muktsar district planning board. Gidderbaha seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ludhiana early this year. The AAP has named Ishank Chabbewal, a doctor and the son of AAP Hoshiarpur MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal, as its candidate from Chabbewal (SC) segment. The Chabbewal bypoll was necessitated after Raj Kumar Chabbewal, who was a Congress

BJP's 'dirty politics' responsible for growing pollution in Delhi: Atishi

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Sunday said one of the biggest contributors to pollution in the Anand Vihar area is the influx of buses from other states, adding the Delhi government will engage with the Uttar Pradesh government to implement anti-pollution measures at their bus depot near the national capital. She made these remarks while inspecting pollution control measures at the Anand Vihar bus depot along with Environment Minister Gopal Rai. Highlighting the issue, Atishi said, "Anand Vihar, which lies on the Delhi-UP border, remains a hotspot where AQI levels are the highest. This area sees a large influx of buses from outside Delhi, and there is also the Kaushambi bus depot nearby. While Delhi runs CNG and electric buses, the Kaushambi bus depot receives diesel buses. We plan to engage with the UP government to implement pollution control measures there as well. Constructions by the NCRTC and RRTS has also contributed to pollution levels in the area, she said, adding the Delhi

Delhi school blast: NIA, NSG teams join probe; CM Atishi blames BJP

According to the Delhi police, no conclusive statement has been made yet on what caused the blast near the school

BJP protests outside Delhi CM's residence, demands tabling of CAG report

The BJP on Saturday held a protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi in Civil Lines and demanded that the CAG report be tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The protest was led by BJP senior MLA and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta. Gupta, hitting out at former Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, wrote on X, "Kejriwal, come to your senses! Call the assembly session immediately... Bring the CAG report on the table." The BJP has been calling out the AAP government for not presenting the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the Assembly for the last four years. According to officials, the CAG reports cover a variety of topics, including the state finances audit, the prevention of vehicular air pollution, public health infrastructure and services, the regulation and supply of liquor, as well as the finance accounts and appropriation accounts. Earlier, the office of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena also wrote to Chief Secretary ...

Road side dust, vehicular pollution reasons for pollution: Environmentalist

The issue has now become a political controversy with BJP and Congress attacking AAP over their irresponsibility over the issue

AAP, Kejriwal to decide my future political roles: Satyendar Jain

Senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain on Saturday said his future political responsibilities will be decided by the party and its convener Arvind Kejriwal. The former Delhi Health minister was on Friday night released from Tihar jail after spending 18 months in the prison in a money laundering case. "I will do whatever our party and Arvind Kejriwal say," the AAP leader told PTI Videos when asked about his future political role. The Rouse Avenue court granted bail to Jain on Friday afternoon. He was one of the topmost AAP leaders and held various portfolios in the then Kejriwal government when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in May 2022. "Atrocity is being done... it appears that the British rule has returned. The governments should compete on the work being done for the public. However, the BJP doesn't do that. They say we won't let you work," he said. Jain who is a MLA from Shakurbasti constituency, charged that he was arrested to stall Kejriwal and AAP government's wor

AAP may consider contesting couple of seats in Maharashtra: Goa chief

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said it may consider fighting the next month's Maharashtra assembly elections on a couple of seats. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is part of the opposition's INDIA bloc. In Maharashtra, three constituents of the INDIA bloc - Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) - are fighting the elections under the banner of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) against the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Addressing a press conference at Kudal in Maharashtra's coastal Sindhudurg district on Friday, AAP's Goa unit president Amit Palekar said his party is working on strengthening its base in the Konkan belt, particularly in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts, and also in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra. The party has grown substantially in the Konkan belt, as the local population is looking at alternatives to BJP's Union minister Narayan Rane and his "politics of vendetta", he said. "The AAP stands strongly with the INDIA bloc allies for the November 20 Maharashtra elections but if politic

Was jailed to stall projects like Mohalla Clinics, Yamuna cleaning: Jain

Senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain, who came out of jail on Friday evening, said in his first reactions that he was arrested to stall the AAP government's projects such as Mohalla Clinics and Yamuna river cleaning. The former Delhi government minister also alleged that he and AAP leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh were arrested to dissuade common people from joining politics in the country. He charged that his arrest was part of an attempt to defame Kejriwal who is working hard to ensure the government works for common man and not for a few chosen ones. "We will continue our fight against injustice and work for the common man," Jain told a crowd of AAP leaders and workers outside the Tihar jail after his release. The AAP leader, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case in March 2022, was greeted by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, party leader Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and several MLAs and leaders. Jain

AAP resumes Jai Bhim, Farishtey Yojanas, accuses BJP of stalling them

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced the resumption of Jai Bhim Yojana and Farishtey Yojana and accused the BJP of deliberately stalling these initiatives after his imprisonment. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said that the Jai Bhim Yojana was one of his government's major efforts to ensure equal education opportunities for underprivileged children. The scheme provides for financial assistance to students from SC, ST, OBC, and economically weaker sections for coaching in IITs and civil services exams. "Coaching for IIT and civil services is very expensive. Our responsibility is to provide equal opportunity for poor children, and this scheme was started to fulfil that purpose. However, after I went to jail, it was deliberately stalled. Today, we are restarting the scheme," Kejriwal said. The scheme will continue to offer a Rs 2,500 stipend to each student and there will be no cap on the number of beneficiaries, Kejriwal said. "We believe the government'

Court grants bail to AAP leader Satyendar Jain in money laundering case

A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to AAP leader and former Delhi cabinet minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case, citing "delay in trial" and his "long incarceration". Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 30, 2022, on the charge of laundering money through four companies allegedly linked to him. He is currently in judicial custody. "Considering the delay in trial and long incarceration of 18 months, and the fact that trail will take long to start, let alone conclude, accused is favourably suited for the relief," said Special Judge Vishal Gogne. The judge granted the relief on a bail bond Rs 50,000 with two sureties of like amount. The ED case stems from an FIR lodged against Jain by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

AAP govt has no intention to reduce pollution, says BJP's Manoj Tiwari

Hitting out further, the BJP leader said that the health of Delhi citizens has been put at risk by AAP and Arvind Kejriwal

Was targeted by BJP for my efforts to serve Delhi's public: Kejriwal

He further argued that BJP targeted him and other AAP leader because of their efforts to serve the people of Delhi, specifically citing their work in education and healthcare

Delhi govt bans crackers to combat pollution, BJP seeks justification

The Delhi government on Monday imposed an immediate ban on the production, storage, sale, and use of all kinds of firecrackers across the city, effective until January 1. Reacting to the ban, the Delhi BJP questioned the rationale behind the annual restriction on firecrackers during Diwali and accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of implementing it without presenting any scientific evidence, according to a party statement. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai made the announcement and urged residents to support the government's efforts to curb air pollution. Rai in a post on X said, "In view of the increasing pollution in winter, a ban has been imposed on the production, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers from today till January 1." "The Delhi government has issued instructions regarding the ban, and we request the cooperation of all Delhiites," he added. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has issued detailed instructions to ensure the effective implementation of th

Getting into such debates only benefits BJP: Bharadwaj on Kharge's remarks

This statement came amidst a heated political exchange between Congress President Kharge and Prime Minister Narendra Modi