Centre targeting me for public welfare schemes: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: A day after he was questioned by the CBI in the excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the Centre of targeting him and his government for providing several welfare schemes, including free electricity and good health facilities, to the people of the capital. Speaking at the one-day session of the Assembly, Kejriwal again questioned the education qualification of the prime minister without naming him. The session passed a resolution attacking the prime minister and the BJP. The 70-member Delhi Assembly has 62 AAP MLAs and eight from the BJP.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have long tried to contain the fast rise and expansion of the Aam Aadmi Party and growing popularity of its national convener Arvind Kejriwal," the resolution stated. Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena had earlier flagged "procedural lapses" in calling of the session in a note to the chief minister and suggested against doing so. During his speech, Kejriwal alleged that demonetisation was implemented to end corruption and terrorism, but the "country was destroyed".

The resolution that was passed by the Delhi Assembly also invoked a quote of French poet Victor Hugo --- "No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come". The resolution also stated: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi with all his might and agencies will never be able to stop this idea." "This House observes that people across India are joining Arvind Kejriwal and becoming a part of this silent revolution to Make India No 1," it added. The Delhi chief minister also raised issues like inflation, rising fuel prices, unemployment and corruption faced by the country and asked the people that if such problems plagued the country, they "needed to check whether their ruler was properly educated".