‘Let me serve Delhi, like you let me serve the nation’: PM Modi in poll campaign

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on the Delhi electorate to seek a chance to serve the Capital, “just as I have served the country”, to implement his vision of a clean and developed Delhi, emphasising the development of a “beautiful riverfront” on the Yamuna on the lines of the Sabarmati in Gujarat. Attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, terming them “anti-poor” and “anti-adivasi”, he batted for pothole-free roads, clean water and pucca houses for the poor in Delhi.

Addressing a rally in Dwarka in support of the party’s candidates across Delhi, Modi said: “Whenever I come to Dwarka, it is but natural to think of Lord Shri Krishna’s Dwarka Nagari. It is my honour to serve both Dwarka in Gujarat and here in Delhi. The vision BJP has for Delhi reflects ever so well in Dwarka. The Centre has established Yashobhoomi here. Through it, thousands of individuals have got jobs here and business has picked up.”

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“In the years to come, this entire region will be a smart city of sorts. People will come from around the world; tourism and business will flourish. The Centre is also creating the Bharat Vandana Park here in Dwarka, which will be a model for the rest of the country,” he said.

Saying that he had a vision not just for Dwarka, but the entire Capital, Modi said Delhi needed a “double-engine sarkaar”.

“For so many years, you have seen Congress rule here. Then, these ‘AAPda (disaster)’ people took over Delhi. You people have given me opportunities to serve the country multiple times. Now, I want you to give me this double-engine sarkaar so I can serve Delhi too. I guarantee you, for Delhi’s development, we will leave no stone unturned,” Modi said on Friday, to rapturous applause from locals.

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The AAP hit back, saying that the Maha Kumbh tragedy that claimed the “lives of hundreds” was the “work of the double-engine government”, and said the PM was busy addressing rallies in Delhi instead of taking responsibility for the incident.

“Whenever PM Modi speaks, he spreads lies. Even today, he hurled abuses at Delhi’s elected government and Arvind Kejriwal—the very government that presented the Delhi Model to the nation. This is a model where public funds are used for the people, ensuring every individual benefits by ?25,000 per month—whether through free electricity, free water, free healthcare, free bus travel, or free education,” the AAP said in a statement.

Terming AAP a party focussed on “fighting and looting”, he said: “In the past 11 years, AAPda has only fought with others. It has fought with the Centre, with Haryana, with Uttar Pradesh and it is also fighting to prevent Central government schemes from being implemented here. If they stay, Delhi’s development will be halted.”

On the ongoing Yamuna row, Modi said that the party was stooping to such a level due to fear of losing polls, while bemoaning that the government could not clean the Yamuna despite being in power for 10 years.

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“Shortage of water, dirty water and a dirty Yamuna are crucial issues in Delhi, but AAPda is creating panic among people. To save their face, they are resorting to white lies. Yamuna ji, because of AAP today, is in deep trouble. I always believe when there is a political will, there is a way. When I was Gujarat chief minister, the Sabarmati suffered from a similar situation, but I took it upon myself to revive it and eventually developed a world-class riverfront,” Modi said.

Modi warned the people of Delhi to be wary of the AAP and the Congress, alleging they were colluding behind the scenes against the BJP. “Be careful and when you step out on February 5; vote for the BJP to make it a day of reckoning; a day of change,” he said.

Attacking the Congress, he said: “The royal family of the Congress also has a similar mindset. President Droupadi Murmu is an adivasi from Odisha and despite Hindi not being her native tongue, she spoke so well in Parliament. But (the family) insulted her and called it a ‘boring speech’. They also referred to her as a ‘poor thing’.”

In response, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “His Excellency the President was insulted by the Modi government on the very day when she was not invited to the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament. The Indian National Congress and our leaders can never insult the President or any citizen. This is not our culture. BJP had deliberately kept our current President and previous President away from both the temple of democracy and Ram Temple.”