At Karol Bagh padyatra, AAP chief Kejriwal takes swipe at BJP: ‘They have ruined Delhi, every person living in fear’

Addressing the gathering ahead of next year’s Assembly polls, he said, “Ten years ago, you voted for me and made me Chief Minister. You said, ‘Kejriwal, fix the schools’. I fixed the schools, didn’t I? You said, ‘Kejriwal, fix the hospitals.’ I made healthcare free for everyone, established mohalla clinics and improved hospitals. You said, ‘Fix electricity.’ Today, electricity is free and available for 24 hours a day, isn’t it? There are no power outages and generators are no longer needed.”

Nodding his head in agreement, 72-year-old Purushottam Das, a local egg seller, said the AAP government should get a fourth term. “The work he’s done for us, especially in healthcare and education, is unmatched. My family gets free treatment at the mohalla clinic. I had a free eye operation at Ganga Ram Hospital. The BJP promised Rs 5 lakh insurance in the last elections, but I haven’t seen it yet,” he added.

Das, however, had a few complaints of his own — mainly about the area’s sewerage system, which he described as “rarely clean”. Yet, he believes the Kejriwal government will return, fixing issues like these. “The BJP is out of touch with the common man,” he said.

Chandra Shekhar, a 60-year-old shopkeeper, was equally supportive of Kejriwal’s tenure. “In the last 10 years, Kejriwal has brought real change to this area. The roads are cleaner, the sewers are better, and the education system in government schools has improved drastically. I’ve seen the difference myself. I’m confident AAP will win again.”

Vijay Singh, a vegetable vendor, was particularly vocal about his satisfaction with government-run hospitals and educational institutions. “My daughter delivered her child in a government hospital and the care was exceptional,” he said. “The local MLA, Vishesh Ravi, has been good too. He meets people regularly, listens to their problems, and tries to fix them.”

On the stage, the former CM also cited the rise in crime across the Capital, blaming the BJP-led central government for it. “The responsibility for law and order was given to the central government, to the BJP-led central government. They were tasked with ensuring law and order and providing security to the people of Delhi. But after 10 years, they have ruined Delhi to such an extent that every individual is living in fear,” Kejriwal said.

He further claimed the situation would have been different if the Delhi Police was under his government: “The Delhi Police is not under my control; otherwise, the situation in Delhi would not have been this bad. Just as I fixed the schools, the hospitals, and the electricity, I would have fixed law and order too,” he said.

For Moti Lal, a 49-year-old who is unemployed, the AAP government’s subsidies have been a boon. “Free electricity, water, education — no other government has provided these before. The BJP tried to frame Kejriwal under corruption charges, but the people can see through it,” he said. “If Kejriwal had more power over the police, crime would reduce in areas like ours,” he added.

Not all feedback was positive though. Several residents voiced frustrations about persistent infrastructure issues in the area.

A 51-year-old businessman said, “In the last two years, my water bill has gone up to over Rs 1 lakh, despite having just four people in my household. The water and sewage lines mix regularly. The condition is so bad that sewage water often flows onto the streets.” He claimed he complained four times on the MCD portal but to no avail. He further highlighted the lack of playgrounds for children.

A retired government official, on condition of anonymity, shared concerns about the rise in migrant populations and increasing drug use in the area. “Local residents are slowly moving away,” he said. “Water problems are worse than ever. Yet, we vote, because we hope for solutions.”