Ordinance on services matter was brought as money power, ED, CBI threat failed in Delhi: Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday attacked the BJP-led central government, saying the ordinance on services matter was brought as money power and the threat of the ED and the CBI failed in Delhi.

In a speech in the Assembly, he also claimed that the BJP has brought the "Sanghi" model of democracy through the Services Bill while asserting that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be fought on the issue of full statehood for the national capital.

Kejriwal alleged that the "democratic rights of the people of Delhi were trampled through the ordinance and the bill".

"The prime minister has taken off on a chariot being pulled by three horses -- the ED, CBI and money. With these horses, he toppled the governments in several states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. This chariot also reached Delhi and our MLAs were offered Rs 25 crore each (to topple the AAP government), but the people of Delhi have chosen diamonds and none of our MLAs could be lured," he said.

In Maharashtra, those jailed in corruption cases got bail after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he claimed.

"But without committing any crime, (Delhi ministers) Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain were put in jail. Today, if they join the BJP, they will get bail. But they have refused to do so," he alleged.

The AAP national convener also accused the Centre of bringing a "new" model of democracy in the country.

"They go abroad and talk about democracy and after returning, they trample that very same democracy. There are several models of democracy like the Westminister style, presidential style and parliamentary style. Which model is this where two officers have been made to sit on top of the chief minister" he said in the House.

In reply, the AAP MLAs said, "Sanghi" model, referring to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP.

"RSS members have a mischievous mind and these people (BJP) have brought the Sanghi style of democracy through this bill. Is this the fourth-pass model?" he said as AAP legislators cheered.

Kejriwal has been questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's education qualification and on a few occasions, he narrated what he called a story of "chauthi (class 4) pass raja (king)", apparently referring to the PM.

Kejriwal also claimed that recently, someone from BJP had threatened him, saying, "We will make you bow down".

"But I want to tell them that no power can make Kejriwal and the two crore people of Delhi bow down," he said.

The AAP national convener said the BJP will lose all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in the 2024 polls.

He also assured the people that the work being done by the AAP government won't stop even though the pace might slow down while asserting that in the last eight years, they have earned the love and respect of the people of Delhi.

Exuding confidence that they will win the battle in Supreme Court, Kejriwal said they will work at double the speed.

The Supreme Court has referred the AAP government's plea against the Services Bill to a five-judge Constitution bench.

Talking about the GNCTD (Amendment) Act, Kejriwal said it was brought by Modi to "end the AAP and its government" in Delhi.

"In 2013, the sentiment towards the Congress was negative and there was a Modi wave across the country. On December 4, 2019, Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections were held and on December 8 the results were announced. A surprise happened there.

"A new party won 28 seats and formed the government. On December 28, the government took oath. How Modi ji must have felt at that time? Our government worked for 49 days but those days are remembered by everyone. Corruption was eradicated in Delhi," he said.

"After we resigned, they (BJP) heaved a sigh of relief. They won the Lok Sabha polls with a huge majority and they felt that the AAP was over... Modi ji won Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and then Delhi's turn came. AAP got 67 seats out of 70 in Delhi and Modi ji's party was confined to just three seats," Kejriwal said.

The chief minister alleged that it was on that day that "Modi ji swore to end the AAP and its government".

"But God had other plans. Modi ji wanted to destroy the AAP but in nine years, people made us the third largest party in the country," he said.

Alleging that the bureaucracy of Delhi has been "weaponised", he said last year, they stopped the supply of medicines to AAP's mohalla clinics and threatened officers.

"The officer who does good work is thrown out. Corrupt officers are given plum posts. They stopped laboratory tests for mohalla clinics and stopped foreign training for teachers. In the last one-and-a-half years, basic repairs carried out by DJB have stopped," he alleged.

Kejriwal said the Supreme Court on May 11 ruled in its favour over its control of services in Delhi but on May 19, after the apex court shut for vacations, the BJP government at the Centre brought an ordinance and overturned the SC's decision.

"The entire country was shocked. People didn't know how shameless they were," he said.

He also attacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for defending the bill during the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament.

"The home minister gave a two-hour speech and did not even say a single line on the benefits of this bill. He kept saying we have power. You have been given the power to work for people and give them electricity. Power is not for trampling rights of people," Kejriwal said.