News Analysis India

Tag: Arvind Kejriwal

  • ED raids on Sanjay Singh show BJP resorting to desperate measures, says Delhi CM Kejriwal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the ED raids on AAP leader Sanjay Singh’s residence showed that the BJP was resorting to desperate measures as it stares at a defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Many such raids will take place but there is nothing to be scared of, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener said.

    READ MORE | ED targeting Sanjay Singh for raising Adani matter in Parliament: AAP 

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday morning raided AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s home in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy, officials said. Premises of some others connected to the case are also being covered, they said.

    “They have been probing the alleged liquor scam for the last year but nothing has been found yet. Nothing will be found at Sanjay Singh’s residence. When someone is staring at defeat, they resort to desperate measures. That is what is happening right now,” Kejriwal told reporters during his visit to the Okhla landfill site. The chief minister said such raids will only increase as the election nears.”

    ED, CBI, I-T and police agencies will become active as the elections come closer. Yesterday, it was journalists and today, it is Sanjay Singh. Many such raids will happen. But there is no need to be scared,” he added.

    On the Supreme Court hearing his former deputy Manish Sisodia’s bail plea, Kejriwal said, “The blessings of children are with him. We hope he will get justice from the Supreme Court today.”

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the ED raids on AAP leader Sanjay Singh’s residence showed that the BJP was resorting to desperate measures as it stares at a defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Many such raids will take place but there is nothing to be scared of, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener said.

    READ MORE | ED targeting Sanjay Singh for raising Adani matter in Parliament: AAP googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday morning raided AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s home in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy, officials said. Premises of some others connected to the case are also being covered, they said.

    “They have been probing the alleged liquor scam for the last year but nothing has been found yet. Nothing will be found at Sanjay Singh’s residence. When someone is staring at defeat, they resort to desperate measures. That is what is happening right now,” Kejriwal told reporters during his visit to the Okhla landfill site. The chief minister said such raids will only increase as the election nears.”

    ED, CBI, I-T and police agencies will become active as the elections come closer. Yesterday, it was journalists and today, it is Sanjay Singh. Many such raids will happen. But there is no need to be scared,” he added.

    On the Supreme Court hearing his former deputy Manish Sisodia’s bail plea, Kejriwal said, “The blessings of children are with him. We hope he will get justice from the Supreme Court today.”

  • ‘Won’t break away’: Kejriwal reaffirms AAP’s commitment to ‘INDIA’ amid Sukhpal row in Punjab

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the Aam Aadmi Party is committed to the opposition INDIA alliance and will not break away from it.

    His comments assume significance against the backdrop of the Congress’ Punjab unit accusing the AAP government in the state of indulging in political vendetta following the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with a 2015 drug trafficking case.

    The AAP has, however, rejected the allegation saying the action against the Bholath legislator was taken according to the law.

    At a press conference here on Friday, Kejriwal, who is the national convener of the AAP, was asked about the future of the INDIA alliance following the arrest of the Congress legislator in Punjab.

    “The AAP is committed towards the INDIA alliance. We will not break away from the alliance. We are committed to fulfilling the dharma of the alliance,” he said.

    About the case, Kejriwal said, “I have heard about it but I don’t have details. You will have to talk to the Punjab Police.”

    “The Bhagwant Mann government is committed to ending the drug menace in the state since it has destroyed the youth. Be it an influential person or a small-time person, no one will be spared. I am not commenting on any particular incident since the details are not with me,” he said.

    Asked about the opposition INDIA alliance not projecting a prime ministerial candidate yet, Kejriwal said, “We have to prepare a system so that the 140 crore people of India feel they are prime minister. We have to empower people and not one person,” he said.

    The Punjab Congress has already opposed any alliance with the ruling AAP in the state for the 2024 general elections.

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the Aam Aadmi Party is committed to the opposition INDIA alliance and will not break away from it.

    His comments assume significance against the backdrop of the Congress’ Punjab unit accusing the AAP government in the state of indulging in political vendetta following the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with a 2015 drug trafficking case.

    The AAP has, however, rejected the allegation saying the action against the Bholath legislator was taken according to the law.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    At a press conference here on Friday, Kejriwal, who is the national convener of the AAP, was asked about the future of the INDIA alliance following the arrest of the Congress legislator in Punjab.

    “The AAP is committed towards the INDIA alliance. We will not break away from the alliance. We are committed to fulfilling the dharma of the alliance,” he said.

    About the case, Kejriwal said, “I have heard about it but I don’t have details. You will have to talk to the Punjab Police.”

    “The Bhagwant Mann government is committed to ending the drug menace in the state since it has destroyed the youth. Be it an influential person or a small-time person, no one will be spared. I am not commenting on any particular incident since the details are not with me,” he said.

    Asked about the opposition INDIA alliance not projecting a prime ministerial candidate yet, Kejriwal said, “We have to prepare a system so that the 140 crore people of India feel they are prime minister. We have to empower people and not one person,” he said.

    The Punjab Congress has already opposed any alliance with the ruling AAP in the state for the 2024 general elections.

  • Opposition meet in Patna on June 23; Rahul, Mamata, Kejriwal, Stalin agree to attend

    By PTI

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

  • Kejriwal to meet Mamata, discuss Centre’s ordinance on administrative services

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be meeting his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday, an official said.

    Kejriwal will be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo is trying to drum up opposition support over the Delhi government’s fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital.

    Kejriwal and Mann are scheduled to land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the afternoon. They will hold a brief meeting with AAP leaders of West Bengal before visiting the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief.

    “They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year’s general elections,” a senior TMC leader said.

    Kejriwal and Mann will leave the West Bengal capital on Tuesday evening.

    Kejriwal has met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter has extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter.

    The AAP chief may also meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.

    The Centre promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them.

    This came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi.

    An ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months. For this, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament.

    KOLKATA: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be meeting his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday, an official said.

    Kejriwal will be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo is trying to drum up opposition support over the Delhi government’s fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Kejriwal and Mann are scheduled to land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the afternoon. They will hold a brief meeting with AAP leaders of West Bengal before visiting the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief.

    “They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year’s general elections,” a senior TMC leader said.

    Kejriwal and Mann will leave the West Bengal capital on Tuesday evening.

    Kejriwal has met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter has extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter.

    The AAP chief may also meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.

    The Centre promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them.

    This came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi.

    An ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months. For this, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament.

  • Harshest punishment for accused no matter how powerful: Kejriwal joins wrestlers protest

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday met wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and said every Indian who loves the country should stand with them in their struggle.

    The wrestlers have been protesting for nearly a week demanding action against Singh, also a BJP MP, on sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women players. The Delhi Police on Friday filed two FIRs against the WFI chief.

    Extending his support to the wrestlers, Kejriwal said those who commit such wrongs against women “should be hanged”. “All these women players who have brought laurels to the country are our daughters, they must get justice. No matter how powerful the accused is, he should be given the harshest punishment,” he later said in a tweet in Hindi.

    ALSO READ | Priyanka meets protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, accuses govt of ‘protecting’ WFI chief

    In his address from the protest site, Kejriwal also asked people from all over the country to take leave and come to Jantar Mantar to support the wrestlers.

    The chief minister claimed that electricity and water supply to the protest venue had been disconnected and supplies like food and mattresses were being not allowed in, and promised to help them.

    Kejriwal said the protesting wrestlers, including award-winning sportspersons, brought laurels to the country and yet had to protest and approach the Supreme Court for action against Singh.

    Without taking any names, Kejriwal said no harm ever comes to any leader of “one party” even if they do something wrong and that is what happened here.

    ALSO READ | Stir to continue till WFI chief is arrested, say India’s top grapplers

    Kejriwal saluted the wrestlers for their struggle, and said people who loved their country should extend support to them.

    The Delhi Police FIRs against Singh were filed hours after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the force, told a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that a case will be registered on Friday.

    While the first FIR relates to allegations by a minor wrestler and was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the second was related to outraging modesty.

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday met wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and said every Indian who loves the country should stand with them in their struggle.

    The wrestlers have been protesting for nearly a week demanding action against Singh, also a BJP MP, on sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women players. The Delhi Police on Friday filed two FIRs against the WFI chief.

    Extending his support to the wrestlers, Kejriwal said those who commit such wrongs against women “should be hanged”. “All these women players who have brought laurels to the country are our daughters, they must get justice. No matter how powerful the accused is, he should be given the harshest punishment,” he later said in a tweet in Hindi.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    ALSO READ | Priyanka meets protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, accuses govt of ‘protecting’ WFI chief

    In his address from the protest site, Kejriwal also asked people from all over the country to take leave and come to Jantar Mantar to support the wrestlers.

    The chief minister claimed that electricity and water supply to the protest venue had been disconnected and supplies like food and mattresses were being not allowed in, and promised to help them.

    Kejriwal said the protesting wrestlers, including award-winning sportspersons, brought laurels to the country and yet had to protest and approach the Supreme Court for action against Singh.

    Without taking any names, Kejriwal said no harm ever comes to any leader of “one party” even if they do something wrong and that is what happened here.

    ALSO READ | Stir to continue till WFI chief is arrested, say India’s top grapplers

    Kejriwal saluted the wrestlers for their struggle, and said people who loved their country should extend support to them.

    The Delhi Police FIRs against Singh were filed hours after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the force, told a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that a case will be registered on Friday.

    While the first FIR relates to allegations by a minor wrestler and was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the second was related to outraging modesty.

  • G-8 governance platform, not for LS poll alliance: Kejriwal 

    The letter was sent to chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Punjab. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the G-8 platform, on which he had invited chief ministers of non-BJP states, will be a governance platform and not a platform for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    A letter from Kejriwal inviting the chief ministers of seven states ruled by non-BJP parties other than the Congress for a dinner on March 18 had gone viral, triggering speculation about the formation of an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    The planned dinner of the eight leaders, including Kejriwal, which he described as the “Progressive Chief Ministers” Group of India or G-8″, was supposed to be followed by a press conference the next day, according to the letter written by the AAP supremo.

    During a post-Delhi Budget press conference, Kejriwal was asked about it and he said: “It is a governance platform and not for an alliance for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It is not a political platform. Eight of us will visit a state out of the eight to see the good work being done by them and to learn from each other.”

    “There have been several rounds of discussion between officers and among us. I am violating the protocols by sharing details. There are plans to hold a joint press conference to announce the platform. It is a work in progress,” he said.

    The chief ministers were busy with the assembly sessions in their states and “it should be announced after mid-April”, Kejriwal said.

    The letter was sent to chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Punjab.
     

  • UP backed out from water exchange plan with Delhi despite LG’s request to CM Yogi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh backed out from a plan to provide 140 million gallons per day (MGD) of raw water to Delhi in lieu of an equivalent quantity of treated effluent for irrigation despite the Lieutenant Governor making a request to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, according to an RTI reply.

    The plan involved the supply of 270 cusecs (1 cusec is equal to 1 cubic feet per second) of fresh water from the Murad Nagar Regulator to the Sonia Vihar water treatment plant in Delhi and the release of an equivalent quantity of treated effluent from the Okhla sewage treatment plant in the Agra Canal.

    Documents accessed under the Right to Information Act showed that the two states held multiple meetings on the water exchange plan starting May 3, 2018, and the then LG Anil Baijal and the then chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev had also requested the UP government to finalise the agreement.

    A feasibility report the UP Jal Nigam sent to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on July 1, 2020, said the project was workable.

    The DJB had paid Rs 70 lakh for the preparation of the feasibility report and the Delhi government had also agreed to bear the cost of laying pipelines and construction and repair work needed for the supply of raw water from UP and the release of treated effluent into the Agra Canal.

    Baijal discussed the issue with the UP chief minister on the phone on June 14 last year and wrote to him on June 23, requesting him to issue directions to the department concerned to provide 270 cusecs (140 million gallons a day) of raw water to Delhi from Murad Nagar, the documents showed.

    “Delhi does not have enough water resources of its own and depends on neighbouring states to meet its drinking water needs. Amid the increasing population, Delhi needs 265 MGD of additional raw water to fulfil the requirement. The feasibility report dated July 1, 2020, says it is possible for UP to provide 270 cusecs of raw water to Delhi. Therefore, I request you to please issue necessary directions to the department concerned in this regard,” the LG’s letter read.

    On February 2 last year, Vijay Kumar Dev wrote to the UP chief secretary, requesting him to finalise the pact.

    “I would like to thank you for the positive steps taken towards processing the request of Delhi…The offices of both states have held various meetings, joint inspections and deliberations to take the matter forward. May I propose that the general understanding and consensus achieved by both the states till date may be formalised by way of a memorandum for understanding,” Dev wrote to UP Chief Secretary R K Tiwari.

    However, the executive engineer of the UP government in a letter dated July 9, 2021, informed the DJB that the “competent authority” did not approve the feasibility report and “it may be treated null and void.”

    The UP government also returned Rs 70 lakh that the DJB gave for the preparation of the report without citing any reason for backing out from the plan, the RTI reply showed.

    The documents showed the DJB later asked the Delhi government that “intervention and persuasion at the highest political level be done for seeking consent of the UP government” but the request did not elicit a response.

    Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD of water, while the DJB supplies around 950 MGD.

    Haryana supplies a total of 610 MGD of water to Delhi through two canals — CLC (368 MGD) and DSB (177) — and the Yamuna (65 MGD).

    CLC and the DSB are supplied water from Hathni Kund via the Munak canal and the Bhakra Beas Management Board.

    Besides, Delhi receives 253 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through the Upper Ganga Canal, and 90 MGD is drawn from Ranney wells and tube wells installed across the city.

    NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh backed out from a plan to provide 140 million gallons per day (MGD) of raw water to Delhi in lieu of an equivalent quantity of treated effluent for irrigation despite the Lieutenant Governor making a request to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, according to an RTI reply.

    The plan involved the supply of 270 cusecs (1 cusec is equal to 1 cubic feet per second) of fresh water from the Murad Nagar Regulator to the Sonia Vihar water treatment plant in Delhi and the release of an equivalent quantity of treated effluent from the Okhla sewage treatment plant in the Agra Canal.

    Documents accessed under the Right to Information Act showed that the two states held multiple meetings on the water exchange plan starting May 3, 2018, and the then LG Anil Baijal and the then chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev had also requested the UP government to finalise the agreement.

    A feasibility report the UP Jal Nigam sent to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on July 1, 2020, said the project was workable.

    The DJB had paid Rs 70 lakh for the preparation of the feasibility report and the Delhi government had also agreed to bear the cost of laying pipelines and construction and repair work needed for the supply of raw water from UP and the release of treated effluent into the Agra Canal.

    Baijal discussed the issue with the UP chief minister on the phone on June 14 last year and wrote to him on June 23, requesting him to issue directions to the department concerned to provide 270 cusecs (140 million gallons a day) of raw water to Delhi from Murad Nagar, the documents showed.

    “Delhi does not have enough water resources of its own and depends on neighbouring states to meet its drinking water needs. Amid the increasing population, Delhi needs 265 MGD of additional raw water to fulfil the requirement. The feasibility report dated July 1, 2020, says it is possible for UP to provide 270 cusecs of raw water to Delhi. Therefore, I request you to please issue necessary directions to the department concerned in this regard,” the LG’s letter read.

    On February 2 last year, Vijay Kumar Dev wrote to the UP chief secretary, requesting him to finalise the pact.

    “I would like to thank you for the positive steps taken towards processing the request of Delhi…The offices of both states have held various meetings, joint inspections and deliberations to take the matter forward. May I propose that the general understanding and consensus achieved by both the states till date may be formalised by way of a memorandum for understanding,” Dev wrote to UP Chief Secretary R K Tiwari.

    However, the executive engineer of the UP government in a letter dated July 9, 2021, informed the DJB that the “competent authority” did not approve the feasibility report and “it may be treated null and void.”

    The UP government also returned Rs 70 lakh that the DJB gave for the preparation of the report without citing any reason for backing out from the plan, the RTI reply showed.

    The documents showed the DJB later asked the Delhi government that “intervention and persuasion at the highest political level be done for seeking consent of the UP government” but the request did not elicit a response.

    Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD of water, while the DJB supplies around 950 MGD.

    Haryana supplies a total of 610 MGD of water to Delhi through two canals — CLC (368 MGD) and DSB (177) — and the Yamuna (65 MGD).

    CLC and the DSB are supplied water from Hathni Kund via the Munak canal and the Bhakra Beas Management Board.

    Besides, Delhi receives 253 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through the Upper Ganga Canal, and 90 MGD is drawn from Ranney wells and tube wells installed across the city.

  • ‘Heavy BJP machinery’ made MCD polls toughest election contested by AAP: Kejriwal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the “heavy BJP machinery” deployed during campaigning made the MCD polls the toughest election contested by the Aam Aadmi Party so far, accusing the saffron party of pressuring media to spread propaganda.

    Addressing the newly elected councillors, Kejriwal asserted that the AAP does positive politics and talks about “our work” “This election was very very tough. A few people say it was an easy election, but it was not. The way they conspired against us and the way they used state machinery against us, it was the toughest elections we ever contested,” Kejriwal claimed.

    “Heavy BJP machinery deployed during campaigning made MCD poll the toughest election contested by the AAP so far,” he added.

    Referring to the purported videos of jailed minister Satyender Jain, the chief minister said the BJP pressured the media to spread “propaganda against us”.

    “We do positive politics and talk about our work. The BJP through fake videos and letters of a jailed conman did not allow us to discuss our work narrative,” the AAP supremo said.

    “Moreover, the way they pressured the media, they scolded the media and twisted its arm, they ran misinformation campaign against us. There was a new fake video every morning at 9 o’clock,” he alleged.

    The AAP on Wednesday wrested power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the high-stakes civic polls in the national capital.

    The Arvind Kejriwal-led party bagged 134 of the 250 wards while the BJP won 104.

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the “heavy BJP machinery” deployed during campaigning made the MCD polls the toughest election contested by the Aam Aadmi Party so far, accusing the saffron party of pressuring media to spread propaganda.

    Addressing the newly elected councillors, Kejriwal asserted that the AAP does positive politics and talks about “our work” “This election was very very tough. A few people say it was an easy election, but it was not. The way they conspired against us and the way they used state machinery against us, it was the toughest elections we ever contested,” Kejriwal claimed.

    “Heavy BJP machinery deployed during campaigning made MCD poll the toughest election contested by the AAP so far,” he added.

    Referring to the purported videos of jailed minister Satyender Jain, the chief minister said the BJP pressured the media to spread “propaganda against us”.

    “We do positive politics and talk about our work. The BJP through fake videos and letters of a jailed conman did not allow us to discuss our work narrative,” the AAP supremo said.

    “Moreover, the way they pressured the media, they scolded the media and twisted its arm, they ran misinformation campaign against us. There was a new fake video every morning at 9 o’clock,” he alleged.

    The AAP on Wednesday wrested power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the high-stakes civic polls in the national capital.

    The Arvind Kejriwal-led party bagged 134 of the 250 wards while the BJP won 104.

  • Municipal Corporation of Delhi in AAP pocket

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Finally, what AAP thought happened, not in the exact measure, but in its historical proportion. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party ended the BJP’s 15-year rule over the MCD, bagging 134 of the 250 seats, forcing the BJP to settle at 104 and Congress at a distant 9 seats.

    For AAP, it is a wish fulfilled: it now rules Delhi and the civic body whose unification from three separate bodies a few months back was thought to be a pro-BJP move.On Wednesday, the BJP could draw solace from a fragile fact: it has fared better than what was projected by exit polls. 

    The results humiliated the Congress as it won only nine seats and, worse, 188 of its 247 candidates lost their deposits. An element of history joined AAP’s win. It is for the first time that the AAP has managed to wrest power from the BJP in any of the battles of the ballot since the party’s birth a decade ago.

    AAP has won two other elections the Delhi Assembly (2015 & 2019) and Punjab (2022). In all these polls, AAP swept the Congress off, while it faced defeat in BJP-ruled states like Uttarakhand, Goa and Uttar Pradesh.

    In Delhi, AAP singularly targeted the city’s ever-rising three landfill sites, promising to remove the muck and squalor from Delhi’s midst. The BJP got back at AAP by selectively leaking video clips on the so-called corruption cases, including the Delhi excise scam.

    In the previous elections, the BJP had trounced both the AAP and the Congress by winning 181 of 272 wards of the three municipal corporations. Kejriwal termed the “decisive victory” to be an affirmation for his party’s honest politics. “People of Delhi have now entrusted their son to clean Delhi and rid MCD of corruption. I won’t let them down,” he said at the AAP headquarters.

    ALSO READ | Aam Aadmi Party sweeps MCD elections, ends BJP’s rule in Delhi civic body

    Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said the people have given them almost 40% vote share along with 104 wards and responsibility as a strong opposition. As for the dispirited Congress, it claimed that the people have rejected the BJP.

    Mayor watch

    Tenure of MCD mayor is 1 year

    Rules mandate that the first mayor is a woman while the third mayor has to be from the reserved category

    AAP may field SC woman councillor for mayor

    If she wins, she’ll have tenure of about four months as new mayor is sworn in every April

    NEW DELHI: Finally, what AAP thought happened, not in the exact measure, but in its historical proportion. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party ended the BJP’s 15-year rule over the MCD, bagging 134 of the 250 seats, forcing the BJP to settle at 104 and Congress at a distant 9 seats.

    For AAP, it is a wish fulfilled: it now rules Delhi and the civic body whose unification from three separate bodies a few months back was thought to be a pro-BJP move.On Wednesday, the BJP could draw solace from a fragile fact: it has fared better than what was projected by exit polls. 

    The results humiliated the Congress as it won only nine seats and, worse, 188 of its 247 candidates lost their deposits. An element of history joined AAP’s win. It is for the first time that the AAP has managed to wrest power from the BJP in any of the battles of the ballot since the party’s birth a decade ago.

    AAP has won two other elections the Delhi Assembly (2015 & 2019) and Punjab (2022). In all these polls, AAP swept the Congress off, while it faced defeat in BJP-ruled states like Uttarakhand, Goa and Uttar Pradesh.

    In Delhi, AAP singularly targeted the city’s ever-rising three landfill sites, promising to remove the muck and squalor from Delhi’s midst. The BJP got back at AAP by selectively leaking video clips on the so-called corruption cases, including the Delhi excise scam.

    In the previous elections, the BJP had trounced both the AAP and the Congress by winning 181 of 272 wards of the three municipal corporations. Kejriwal termed the “decisive victory” to be an affirmation for his party’s honest politics. “People of Delhi have now entrusted their son to clean Delhi and rid MCD of corruption. I won’t let them down,” he said at the AAP headquarters.

    ALSO READ | Aam Aadmi Party sweeps MCD elections, ends BJP’s rule in Delhi civic body

    Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said the people have given them almost 40% vote share along with 104 wards and responsibility as a strong opposition. As for the dispirited Congress, it claimed that the people have rejected the BJP.

    Mayor watch

    Tenure of MCD mayor is 1 year

    Rules mandate that the first mayor is a woman while the third mayor has to be from the reserved category

    AAP may field SC woman councillor for mayor

    If she wins, she’ll have tenure of about four months as new mayor is sworn in every April

  • AAP to record historic victory in Gujarat polls, become a national party: Kejriwal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted on Saturday that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will record a “historic victory” in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls and become a “national” political party.

    Congratulating the party workers on the 10th anniversary of the AAP’s foundation day, Kejriwal said the party has created “many histories” in Indian politics since it came into existence on November 26, 2012, and become “a new hope” for the people of the country.

    “The Aam Aadmi Party was formed 10 years ago on this day. In these 10 years, the party created many histories in Indian politics with the immense love of the public and the hard work of the workers,” Kejriwal, the national convenor of the party, said in a series of tweets.

    10 साल पहले आज ही के दिन आम आदमी पार्टी की स्थापना हुई थी। इन 10 सालों में जनता के बेशुमार प्यार और कार्यकर्ताओं की मेहनत से पार्टी ने भारतीय राजनीति में कई इतिहास रचे। आज आम आदमी पार्टी देश की जनता की नई उम्मीद बन चुकी है, विश्वास बन चुकी है। pic.twitter.com/SHV97E6ru3

    — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 26, 2022

    ALSO READ | Stench of hawala in Gujarat AAP cash theft

    “The AAP has offered new hope to the people of the country and gained their trust,” he said.

    “With yet another historic victory, the AAP is going to become a national party very soon,” he said.

    Riding high on its stupendous victory in the Punjab Assembly polls earlier this year, the AAP is betting big in poll-bound Gujarat. It has fielded candidates in all 182 Assembly constituencies in the BJP-ruled state.

    Till the 2017 Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were the main contenders in Gujarat.

    With the AAP joining the fray with its high-decibel campaign, the state is set to witness a three-cornered poll contest this time.

    The Kejriwal-led party is hoping to gain its foothold in the state by winning several seats in the polls to be held in two phases on December 1 and 5.

    According to the rules, a political party gets the status of a “State Party” if it secures 6 per cent of the votes polled and two seats in a legislative assembly. If a party gets the status of a “State Party” in four states, it automatically becomes a “National Party.”

    The AAP is recognised as a “State Party” in Delhi, Punjab and Goa. If it secures 6 per cent of the votes polled and two seats in Gujarat, it will earn the tag of a “National Party.”ALSO READ | AAP has most candidates with criminal backgrounds in MCD polls

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted on Saturday that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will record a “historic victory” in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls and become a “national” political party.

    Congratulating the party workers on the 10th anniversary of the AAP’s foundation day, Kejriwal said the party has created “many histories” in Indian politics since it came into existence on November 26, 2012, and become “a new hope” for the people of the country.

    “The Aam Aadmi Party was formed 10 years ago on this day. In these 10 years, the party created many histories in Indian politics with the immense love of the public and the hard work of the workers,” Kejriwal, the national convenor of the party, said in a series of tweets.

    10 साल पहले आज ही के दिन आम आदमी पार्टी की स्थापना हुई थी। इन 10 सालों में जनता के बेशुमार प्यार और कार्यकर्ताओं की मेहनत से पार्टी ने भारतीय राजनीति में कई इतिहास रचे। आज आम आदमी पार्टी देश की जनता की नई उम्मीद बन चुकी है, विश्वास बन चुकी है। pic.twitter.com/SHV97E6ru3

    — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 26, 2022

    ALSO READ | Stench of hawala in Gujarat AAP cash theft

    “The AAP has offered new hope to the people of the country and gained their trust,” he said.

    “With yet another historic victory, the AAP is going to become a national party very soon,” he said.

    Riding high on its stupendous victory in the Punjab Assembly polls earlier this year, the AAP is betting big in poll-bound Gujarat. It has fielded candidates in all 182 Assembly constituencies in the BJP-ruled state.

    Till the 2017 Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were the main contenders in Gujarat.

    With the AAP joining the fray with its high-decibel campaign, the state is set to witness a three-cornered poll contest this time.

    The Kejriwal-led party is hoping to gain its foothold in the state by winning several seats in the polls to be held in two phases on December 1 and 5.

    According to the rules, a political party gets the status of a “State Party” if it secures 6 per cent of the votes polled and two seats in a legislative assembly. If a party gets the status of a “State Party” in four states, it automatically becomes a “National Party.”

    The AAP is recognised as a “State Party” in Delhi, Punjab and Goa. If it secures 6 per cent of the votes polled and two seats in Gujarat, it will earn the tag of a “National Party.”ALSO READ | AAP has most candidates with criminal backgrounds in MCD polls