NEW DELHI: As the row over the plan to take ration to the doorsteps of the beneficiaries continued, the state government and the Centre accused each other of siding with the ration mafia.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday that instead of carrying the states along, the central government was busy abusing them.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia added at a press conference that BJP should be called Bharatiya Jhagda Party, criticising it for “ignoring” the demand of states for Covid vaccines, cancelling the Class XII examinations only when the Supreme Court intervened and opposing the AAP government move on the delivery of ration.
“Today people want a central government that takes everyone along instead of fighting and abusing the state governments throughout the day,” tweeted Kejriwal.
“The country will progress when 130 crore people, all state governments and the Centre together work like team India.
So much abuse is not good.” This was in response to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleging that Aam Aadmi Party was under the control of the ration mafia.
The minister also took a swipe at the state government for planning doorstep delivery of ration when it had “failed to provide oxygen” to the people of Delhi.
Sisodia, on his part, stated that the ministers of the BJP-led central government appeared to have no other work but to divert the focus of people and attack the West Bengal government, Jharkhand government, Maharashtra government or any other government led by the Opposition, all of which were actually doing good work.
“It has become normal behaviour for the central government to slam 4-5 state governments every day.
The only common thread running through oxygen management, vaccines, ration and Covid-19 management is BJP’s opposition and deliberate inaction,” said Sisodia.
The deputy CM also asked, “It was only after the Supreme Court asked the central government to supply oxygen or face contempt that the Centre began helping states.
Why didn’t the central government take any action on oxygen supply earlier?” As for the dilemma faced by several students, parents and state governments regarding the Class XII examinations, Sisodia said, “Many state governments as well as our nation’s children supported cancelling the examinations.
But there were objections from BJP leaders.
Why were the board exams cancelled only when the Supreme Court stepped in? The state governments had also appealed to the central government for adequate vaccines, but even here it turned a deaf ear to our requests.
Instead, the Centre just slammed the state governments.
It was again only when the Supreme Court intervened that the Centre woke up to our request for vaccines.” Sisodia wanted to know the Centre’s logic for blocking Delhi government’s scheme for the doorstep delivery of ration.
“When CM Arvind Kejriwal asked why ration couldn’t be delivered to households when pizza could be, BJP leaders pounced on him and called him corrupt.
What is wrong if a CM, who is an IIT graduate, promotes doorstep delivery of ration?” Sisodia said.
“India’s people are tired of being led by a government that only engages in petty politics and slams state governments for doing good work.” The deputy CM went on, “Citizens elected Bhartiya Janata Party to power, but now we should simply call it Bharatiya Jhagda Party.
All that BJP does is fight with people.
I want to ask BJP leaders to maintain the party’s vision instead of solidifying its Bharatiya Jhagda Party image.
Our citizens want a government that can collaborate with states and work for the development of the nation.”