After Arunachal, Delhi could be next target, says CM Arvind Kejriwal ..
In his first Republic Day address after being elected a second time, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday said the Centre’s decisioto recommend President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh is “unconstitutional” and that Delhi was the Centre’s “next target”.
“The government has been suspended in Arunachal Pradesh and President’s rule recommended. Nowhere is it written in the Constitution that if the state is ruled by parties other than the one at the Centre, President’s rule should be proposed. Just two days before Republic Day, the Constitution has been murdered,” he said.
He added, “Some journalists called me yesterday. They told me Delhi is the Centre’s next target. I said it must be a rumour as we are running a good government. Odd-even has been successful… We are doing good (work) when it comes to education, we have reduced electricity rates, given water for free and compensation to the farmers.”
But he also claimed that the same reporters briefed him about the CBI raid in December.
Kejriwal said the Centre is like an elder brother to states. “Centre should behave like Ram, who took care of his younger brothers, instead of ordering CBI (raids) and imposing President’s Rule.”
On the CBI raid last month, he said, “The agency could not find anything against my secretary. For the past month, my officials have been called in by the CBI and threatened. They say officials will meet the same fate as Chetan Sanghi. The Centre is misusing CBI to threaten governments that are not ruled by the same party as the Centre,” he added.
Talking about the suicide by a Dalit scholar from Hyderabad Central University, Rohith Vemula, the CM said he was a meritorious student who became a victim of the system.
“He was bright and meritorious… The nation should have honoured him. But the system created unfavourable circumstances for him. Rohith and his friends had formed the Ambedkar Students’ Union. A few people felt uncomfortable. A central government minister called their activities anti-national… Now, toeing the Ambedkar ideology is being called terrorism. This is what the Constitution means to the government. It was alleged that he had been involved in violence but this was not proved. Then the Centre’s minister pressured the university to take action against Rohith… We have to build a system where students like Rohith will feel safe,” said the CM.
On the suicide by three students from Tamil Nadu, Kejriwal said his government has doubled the budget for education and is focused on making the system better for poor children.
He also announced free medicines and tests such as ultrasound and X-rays in Delhi hospitals from February 1.
