Page 113 - Arvind Kejriwal

1.3 bn Indians want pictures of Lakshmi, Ganesh on currency: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said "130 crore Indians" want pictures of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. Blessings of the Almighty are necessary for hard work to translate into success, the Aam Aadmi Party leader said. Kejriwal reiterated his demand to print pictures of the two Hindu deities on currency notes at a rally at Morva Hadaf in Panchmahal district of Gujarat where Assembly elections are expected to be announced soon. "If there is a picture of Ganesh and Lakshmi ji on a note, the country will progress. I am not saying that the country will make progress only by printing their pictures, we will also work hard. People of the country will work hard. We will devise the right policies," he said. "But however hard you may work, unless you get the blessings of the Almighty, hard work does not succeed.....This is why I said there should be pictures of Ganesh and Lakshmi ji (on currency notes)," the AAP leader added. Both the BJP and Congress ..

Kejriwal writes to PM Modi for Lakshmi-Ganesh photos on currency notes

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who created a political flutter with his appeal to incorporate images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on currency notes, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing forward the demand. Claiming that the Indian economy was not in good shape, Kejriwal had on Wednesday said the country needed a lot of effort to get the economy back on track along with the "blessings of our gods and goddesses". It's a wish of 130 crore Indians that there should a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side of currency notes and the photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on the other side, he wrote in the letter on Thursday. "Tremendous support has been received on this issue. There is massive enthusiasm among the people and everyone wants this to be implemented immediately," Kejriwal claimed. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener said in the letter that Indian economy is passing through a very bad phase and India and is listed among developing ...

Gujarat polls: Kejriwal, Mann and Gehlot to begin their 3-day state visit

Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, and Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot will embark on a three-day visit to the poll-bound Gujarat from Friday, during which they will address public rallies in different parts of the state for their respective parties. During their visit, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is also the AAP's national convener, and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann are scheduled to address six rallies. Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot will also hold six public rallies, party sources said. As per the details shared by the AAP, Kejriwal and Mann will address a public meeting at 12 noon in Morwa Hadaf Assembly seat in Panchmahal district. They will also speak at a rally at Kankerej Assembly seat in Patan district. On Saturday, they will address public rallies at Chikhli in Navsari district and Dediapada in Narmada district, while on Sunday, the duo will speak at public rallies in Gariadhar Assembly seat in Bhavnagar district and Dhoraji in Rajkot .

Best of BS Opinion: Political currency, marginal progress, and more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Baghel slams Kejriwal for his images of deities on currency notes statement

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday slammed his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal for demanding images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh on currency notes and described his statement as a tactic to garner votes. Talking to reporters here, the senior Congress leader accused Kejriwal of raising an emotive issues just for votes. Asked about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's controversial statement, Baghel said, At different times the Government of India decides whose photos will appear on currency notes and coins. But to gain votes Kejriwal has used this tactic." I was watching in the news yesterday, photos of great leaders Ambedkar ji and Bhagat Singh ji were kept where he (Kejriwal) was addressing a press conference (where he made the statement). Had they been alive, could Kejriwal have said these things in front of them? Was his statement motivated by their ideology?" he asked. Baghel further said wherever Kejriwal fights elections he just plays emotional card

Explained: Mahatma to Mangalyaan, how currency notes evolved in India

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that efforts to make India wealthy would only bear fruit with blessings from gods and goddesses.

Arvind Kejriwal's radical transformation

Kejriwal may have shrewdly given up his secular positions, but he is no Hindutva hero. He has simply been able to sense which way the wind is blowing

Kejriwal visits Ghazipur landfill site, says garbage issue key in MCD polls

Amid a protest by BJP workers, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the Ghazipur landfill site on Thursday and asserted that the upcoming MCD polls will be fought on garbage issue. He also accused the BJP of failing to clear the three garbage mountains in the last 15 years of its rule in Delhi's three erstwhile municipal corporations. Kejriwal promised to clean the capital in five years if the Aam Aadmi Party wins the municipal elections that are expected to take place at the end of 2022 or early next year. Kejriwal also attacked several BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Sambit Patra and Ramesh Bidhuri, during his address at the landfill site. As the drama ensued, the chief minister likened himself to a character from the Ramayana -- Shravan Kumar -- even protesting BJP workers called him a "liar". Ahead of Kejriwal's visit, drama ensued at the site and roads leading to the area as scores of BJP supporters staged a protest, showed black flags and raised sloga

If Lakshmi-Ganesha on notes can attract voters, implement: Kejriwal to BJP

Countering the claims of the BJP that the idea to use images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on currency notes is a "political stunt", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the saffron party should implement it if it thinks the move can attract votes. Kejriwal's remarks came on the sidelines of his visit to the Ghazipur landfill site in the city. Reporters asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor about his reaction on BJP's allegation that his appeal to print images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on currency notes was a "political stunt" ahead of polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Kejriwal replied, "(If it is a political stunt) Then they should do it. If they feel that saying this would attract votes, then they should implement it. They have the government at the Centre. They should implement this and get votes." Claiming that the Indian economy was not in good shape, Kejriwal at a press conference on Wednesday had said the country needed

BJP should not try to divert attention from garbage issue: Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the BJP should not try to divert attention from the garbage issue amid allegations that the Delhi government is spraying poisonous chemicals to remove froth in Yamuna ahead of Chhath Puja. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Thursday accused the Delhi government of spraying poisonous chemical to remove froth from the Yamuna ahead of Chhath Puja during which devotees take a holy dip in the river. "The people of Delhi have given us five years to clean the Yamuna. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls will be an election of Delhi's cleanliness and garbage. The BJP should not deviate from the issue. They should give an account of their 15 years," he said in a tweet in Hindi. West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma also challenged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take a dip in the Yamuna and alleged that the AAP chief's visit to Ghazipur landfill site was a ploy to divert attention from the issue of pollution in the river.

Firmly oppose language used for CM: AAP slams Delhi LG over Chhath Puja row

After Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena cautioned CM Kejriwal against "misleading" and "premature publicity" regarding 'Chhath Puja', AAP on Thursday hit back objecting to the language used for the CM

He is lowering the dignity of the chair he occupies: AAP on Delhi LG

After Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena cautioned AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal against "misleading" and "pre-mature publicity" regarding Chhath Puja, AAP has hit back at him

Kejriwal urges PM to consider including Lakshmi, Ganesha on currency notes

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. During a media briefing, he said the photos of Ganesha and Lakshmi could be printed on fresh currency notes. He added that the new notes could have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side and of the two deities on the other. "Despite making efforts, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on our currency (notes). "If there is a photo of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this," he said. He cited the example of Indonesia, a Muslim nation, that has a picture of Ganesha on its currency note. "When Indonesia can, why can't we? The photos can be printed on fresh (currency) notes," he said. Lamenting the fact that the India economy

Height of U-turn, says BJP on Kejriwal's bid for Gods' images on currency

The BJP on Wednesday cited past comments of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to claim that his demand for having images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes is the height of U-turn as he is "trying" to be a Hindu. His hypocrisy is on show, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters as he noted that the Aam Aadmi Party government had recently warned people celebrating Diwali with firecrackers of legal action. Patra also referred to AAP leader Rajendra Pal Gautam's presence at a controversial religious conversion event recently where pledge to not worship Hindu deities was taken. Gautam "abused" and "mocked" deities but he remains in the AAP, he said, claiming that his removal as a minister in the Kejriwal government was an eyewash. The BJP spokesperson also noted that Kejriwal had once spoken against the construction of Ram temple and said a hospital should be built at the site in Ayodhya. Internet is full of his "anti-Hindu" remarks, he said, and also referr

Resign if you don't have a solution: BJP to CM Kejriwal on Delhi pollution

BJP leaders on Wednesday demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation over his alleged failure to control pollution in Delhi and claimed the city's air quality improved after Diwali. BJP MP and former Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said the city's air quality index (AQI) levels were worse before Diwali. The AQI had improved after the festival, showing that Diwali is not to be blamed for pollution in Delhi, he said. "Before Diwali, the AQI was 330 and after Diwali this morning (Wednesday) it is 306. (This is) the benefits of bursting green crackers. So those who were blaming Diwali should now worry that if the pollution gets worse from now on then don't blame it on Diwali," Tiwari said in a tweet in Hindi on Wednesday. Delhi's air quality improved on Wednesday morning due to favourable wind speed but it remained in the 'poor' category. The AQI stood at 255 at 10.10 am, improving from 303 at 4 pm on Tuesday. It was recorded at 312 at 4 pm on Monday, the day of Diwali. An AQ

People will reject BJP and give AAP a chance in MCD polls, says Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said people of Delhi would reject the BJP in the upcoming MCD polls and give a chance to the Aam Aadmi Party to clean up the national capital. Speaking at a media briefing, Kejriwal challenged the BJP to show one good work it had done during the last 15 years that it had controlled the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). "Delhi's people will fight the elections and Gujarat's residents will fight the polls there. Ask (the) BJP even if they have done one good deed during the last 15 years in the MCD and in 27 years in Gujarat. "On the other hand, if you go out on the road and ask anyone about the work done by Kejriwal in the last seven years, you will know," he said. MCD polls are expected to be held at the end of 2022 or early next year. However, there has been no formal announcement regarding the dates. In 2017, the BJP swept the civic body polls, bagging 181 wards in the erstwhile south, north and east Delhi municipal corporations. Th

Delhiites working hard but still a long way to go: Kejriwal on pollution

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the results of efforts made by Delhi residents to curb pollution in the city are encouraging but there is still a long way to go. His remarks came a day after Diwali when the air quality in the national capital was recorded in the 'very poor' category. The situation, however, was relatively better than previous years due to favourable meteorological conditions which diluted the effect of many residents flouting a firecracker ban and stubble burning. Delhi's air quality index (AQI) stood at 326 at 8 am. "Delhiites are working hard in the field of pollution. There have been very encouraging results but there is still a long way to go. We will make Delhi the best city in the world," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. Emissions from firecrackers and farm fires have contributed significantly to Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on Diwali over the years. Their share this year was relatively less than previous years due to reduced bursting of firecrac

Arvind Kejriwal wishes Rishi Sunak on being elected UK Prime Minister

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday wished British Prime Minister-elect Rishi Sunak, saying Indians are making their mark across the globe. Sunak will make history as Britain's first Indian-origin Prime Minister having been elected unopposed as the new leader of the governing Conservative Party on Diwali, as Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the race. "Great News. Indians setting their mark all over the globe. "My best wishes to Mr @RishiSunak on becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Wishing him wisdom and strength to lead the country successfully," Kejriwal said in a tweet. The 42-year-old former Chancellor of the Exchequer, considered a devout Hindu, will enter 10 Downing Street to be the youngest British Prime Minister in 210 years -- when Spencer Perceval held the post -- after his audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, which is likely to be on Tuesday. The millionaire son-in-law of Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy will be the first Hindu Pr

Delhi not among 10 most polluted cities in Asia: CM Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said among 10 most polluted cities in Asia, eight are from India and Delhi is not on the list. Citing a report, he said some years back, Delhi was considered to be one of the "most polluted cities in the world" but not anymore. The chief minister posted the media report on Twitter and wrote, "Among 10 most polluted cities in Asia, eight are from India and Delhi not in the list. Some years back, Delhi was the most polluted city in the world. Not any more!" He, however, said there is still a long way to go. "People of Delhi worked very hard. Today, we have improved a lot. While we have improved, its still a long way. We will continue working hard so that we find a place in the best cities of the world," Kejriwal said. "We are committed to making Delhi the best city in the world," he added.

Do not insult common man by referring to facilities as 'revdi': Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday questioned why people, who are worried due to inflation, should not get access to free education and treatment, and said by calling such things free "revdi", the common man should not be insulted. Kejriwal tweeted a media report in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had slammed the political culture of "revdi" or freebies. "People are quite worried due to the price rise. Why should they not get free education, treatment, medicines and electricity? Politicians get so many facilities for free. Banks waived the loans of so many rich people. By calling it free revdi again and again, do not insult the common man," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said in a tweet in Hindi. Modi had slammed the freebie culture in his address after virtually conducting the "grih pravesh" ceremony of 4.51 lakh beneficiaries of the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. "Every taxpayer must be thinking that as I celebra