Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has slammed his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal over his comments during a rally in Guwahati, calling the AAP chief a “coward” whose “heroism” is confined within the Assembly.
Mr. Sarma criticised Mr. Kejriwal for not making any reference in his speech to allegations of corruption against the BJP leader, which he had reportedly made in the Delhi Assembly.
“He had made charges of corruption against me in the Delhi Assembly, but I cannot act on it as he is protected by regulations. I had challenged him to repeat the same allegations outside the House and then I will see him in court.
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“But, he didn’t have the courage to say anything here. He spoke a lot of ‘ anab-shanab’ [rubbish], but nothing on charges against me,” Mr. Sarma said at a presser on Sunday.
The Assam CM had on Friday threatened to file a defamation case against Mr. Kejriwal if the Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged corruption cases against him outside the Assembly.
“The heroism of Kejriwal is confined within the assembly as he is protected by privilege there,” Mr. Sarma said.
On Mr. Kejriwal’s claims at the Guwahati rally, where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was also present, about jobs provided by the Delhi Government, Mr. Sarma said the figures were wrong and 60% of citizens in the national capital were “living in hell”.
“I spoke to officials in Delhi. They told me that there are 1.50 lakh government-sanctioned posts under Delhi Government. I will write to Mr. Kejriwal tomorrow to provide the break-up of the jobs, and I will also share the details of employment provided by our government,” he said.
Mr. Sarma also downplayed Mr. Kejriwal’s promise of free electricity if AAP came to power in Assam, asserting that the northeastern State has the ‘Orunudoi’ scheme under which the government credits ₹1,400 per month in the bank accounts of economically backward families.
“Waiving only the electricity bill would have been cheaper for us,” he said.
Reacting to Mr. Kejriwal’s critical comments on the recent question paper leak in Assam, Mr. Sarma claimed that the Class 12 English paper in Punjab, which also has an AAP Government, had leaked and the examination was cancelled.
On his Delhi counterpart’s invitation to visit his house in the national capital, Mr. Sarma said, “I will send 50 people from Assam, mostly journalists, and Mr. Kejriwal has to take them around Delhi. The only condition is that they have to be taken to the places we want to visit, not what he wants us to show.”
“60% of people of Delhi live in hell. In contrast, 95% of Assam live in heaven,” he claimed.
Mr. Sarma also said the AAP leader’s stature has “diminished” after Sunday’s rally.
“If he wanted to say so many lies, he should have at least ensured a bigger crowd of 20,000-30,000,” the BJP leader added.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr. Kejriwal promised free electricity and jobs if AAP came to power in Assam, while he accused the ruling BJP of doing nothing but playing “dirty politics” in the State.
“AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 and the BJP here in 2016. Today, we have changed the face of Delhi. What has Himanta babu [Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma] done for the State in seven years? Nothing, only dirty politics,” he alleged.