AAP Wasted Decade Fighting: Modi

New Delhi: Accusing the AAP government in Delhi of wasting a decade fighting with the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the people to give the BJP an opportunity in the impending Assembly elections to turn it into a city of the future. He also assured that no public welfare scheme will be discontinued if the BJP assumes power, but it will weed out the corruption in their implementation.

A day after the BJP announced its first list of 29 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, Modi addressed a rally in Rohini, where he dubbed the AAP government a “aapda" (disaster) for the city and asserted that his party will usher in change.

Ahead of the rally, the Prime Minister inaugurated a 13 km section of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor from Sahibabad in UP to New Ashok Nagar and the Janakpuri West-Krishna Park Extension stretch, the first section of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's Phase-IV network to open for public use, setting the narratives of his model directly against the AAP’s.

In a blistering attack on the AAP government, Modi called it an "aapda government" (disaster government) that has stalled Delhi’s progress.

Modi said the aapda government does not have the vision to develop the national capital and the responsibility given to aapda means punishment for the people of Delhi. The Prime Minister appealed to voters to end the AAP's misrule and give the BJP a chance to lead Delhi towards a brighter future.

Highlighting the achievements of the BJP-led Central government over the past decade, the Prime Minister pointed to landmark initiatives that have transformed India’s infrastructure, connectivity and global standing. He cited projects like the expansion of the Delhi Metro, the Namo Bharat train, Bharat Mandapam, Yashobhoomi and the National War Memorial as examples of the BJP’s commitment to development.

“In the last 10 years, the BJP government at the Centre has doubled Delhi’s Metro network, built world-class infrastructure and prioritised public welfare. These are the actions of a government focused on progress, not excuses,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister accused the AAP government of wasting Delhi's mandate in fighting with the Centre and urged its people to give the BJP an opportunity. He asserted the BJP will usher in change.

"Only after this aapda is gotten rid of in Delhi will the double-engine government of development come in," Modi said.

"In the past 10 years, Delhi has witnessed a government that is no less than an aapda! Delhiites have realised this. Only one voice is reverberating in Delhi -- aapda nahi sahenge, badal kar rahenge (will not tolerate disaster, will bring change)," Modi said, adding that when the people of Delhi were grappling with Covid-19, struggling to find oxygen and medicines, the entire focus of the "aapda people" was on building their "Sheesh Mahal".

"They made a huge budget for the Sheesh Mahal. This is their truth... They do not care about the people of Delhi. That is why every Delhiite today is saying -- aapda nahi sahenge, badal kar rahenge," he said.

The Prime Minister said the Centre had been developing highways in Delhi, expanding the Metro network, starting the Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System and running big hospitals. "However, the moment you step out of a Metro station, you can see potholed roads and overflowing sewers. Some areas are such that even auto and cab drivers refuse to ply due to long traffic jams," he said.

Modi also slammed the AAP government for spreading fear that a BJP government in Delhi will discontinue several welfare schemes implemented by it. He assured that no public welfare scheme will be discontinued if the BJP returns to power and asserted a new BJP government will implement those Central schemes that, he claimed, had been stalled by the AAP government with renewed vigour.

"For Delhi, these people (the AAP government) have made every season, every weather, 'aapda kaal' (emergency).The energy of Delhiites is spent in dealing with aapda throughout the year," he said, adding, "Aapda has turned every season into an emergency, with water shortages, waterlogging and pollution… Therefore, only after the AAP is removed from Delhi, the double-engine government of development and good governance will come."

"We are in the 21st century and 25 years have passed. Two or three generations have entered their youth. The next 25 years are important for Delhi. The next 25 years will see India emerging as a developed nation before their eyes. We all will be stakeholders in this journey," Modi said and added that the national capital should be a part of this glorious journey.

"In Delhi, people blessed the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections and now are set to bless the BJP in the Assembly polls. This is a golden opportunity to win the heart of Delhi and free it of aapda," he said.