After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal couldn’t resist having a similar kind of show where he took questions from people across the country. Arvind Kejriwal wanted to know what concerns, suggestions, problems and queries people have so he could address them in a live show titled ‘Talk to AK’, but all he preferred to do was to blame the central government.
The talk show is seen as an attempt by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to reach beyond Delhi as AAP is going to contest upcoming Goa, Punjab and Gujarat assembly elections. In his show Kejriwal addressed his government’s achievements in Delhi and at the same time complained that the central government is putting hurdles in his way, making it impossible for him to work.
Kejriwal cried foul at the central government’s alleged vendetta and said that his MLAs are being harassed, arrested on frivolous and fabricated allegations. “We ourselves asked for CBI probe against one of our ministers who was was accused of accepting bribe. We stand against corruption,” Insisted Kejriwal. He compared the tug of war between Delhi government and the central government to India-Pakistan relations and claimed that he is not playing the victim card but Delhi is a victim of the narrow politics of the central government.
Kejriwal touched upon many hot topics and made several promises during the talk. When asked about why Delhiites still haven’t got WiFi which he had promised before coming to power, he clarified saying, “Rajendra (Kumar) ji was looking after it. I have to appoint a new minister now (as he was arrested on July 4 on corruption charges). But we (are) laying a fibre optic cable network in Delhi – it will take 2-3 years. Meanwhile, we will create a network of hotspots. By December-January it will be operational in East Delhi, if it isn’t nulled-and-voided by L-G.”
When asked why he does not do a referendum in Delhi and place the results in front of the PM instead of complaining about the so-called interference in the work, Kerjriwal replied that he will conduct an opinion poll in Delhi to assess public opinion on the issue of full statehood for Delhi.
Kejriwal promised high on the development front in Delhi. Solid waste management and sewage will see vast improvements in the coming days, said Kejriwal. On the issue of clean water he said that by December 2017, every household in Delhi will have potable water.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accompanied Kejriwal on the show with music composer Vishal Dadlani as the moderator of the session.
