Delhi Budget ‘stalling’: Arvind Kejriwal lying, conspiracy to defame PM Modi, alleges BJP

“Arvind Kejriwal always does something or the other to embarrass the country. If taxpayers’ money is wasted, the L-G has the right to raise objections. Kejriwal always makes wild allegations against the prime minister (Narendra Modi) when his lies are caught,” Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva alleged.

“Why did the Delhi government sit on the file regarding the budget for three days? Why did CM Arvind Kejriwal choose a television news channel to tell this lie instead of utilising the floor of the Assembly when it was in session? All this was done as per a planned conspiracy to defame the prime minister,” Sachdeva said,

The annual financial statement is sent to the L-G for his assent and comments per the rules. The Chief Minister then sends it to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for clearance. The ministry then sends it to the President for approval, after which the Delhi government can table the budget.

According to officials at the L-G office, Saxena approved the annual financial statement with certain observations on March 9 and sent the file to the chief minister. The MHA, in an official statement, said that the L-G had raised “certain concerns of administrative nature on the proposed budget”.

According to sources, the L-G had observed that effective expenditure on capital components (such as infrastructure projects) was around 20 per cent of the total budget, which did not seem “sufficient”.

Sources said he also observed that allocation to the Directorate of Information & Publicity was higher than last year, which “seems incomprehensible and unjustifiable”. The department is responsible for the Delhi government’s advertisements and publicity – an issue the BJP has frequently attacked the AAP over.

Reacting to the development, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said, “The way the central government is constantly harassing the elected government of Delhi on different pretexts and efforts are being made to stop the work of the Delhi government is not good for democracy and the people of Delhi.”

“Arvind Kejriwal knows where he is headed over the coming days and what will become of him; whenever he feels like this, he attacks the prime minister and the Centre; this is his usual working style,” Sachdeva said.