PM’s ‘revdi’ statement: BJP attacks Kejriwal, says welfare measures, freebies different

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra drew a distinction between the welfare measures of the Centre and the “politics of freebies”, saying the Modi government’s policies are designed to help the people stand on their feet.

“Freebies are not meant for the poor. These are aimed at grabbing power. Freebies have no long-term benefits. It has only one short-term benefit and that is to get power in the hands of Arvind Kejriwal. It is a bait to trap people to fulfil the ambitions of Kejriwal and the AAP,” Patra told reporters.

Meanwhile, commenting on the RJD-JD(U) forming government in Bihar, Patra said it will not be an exaggeration to say that “jungle raj has returned to Bihar”. He cited a string of alleged cases of rapes, murders and lootings to make his point.

“When the BJP was a part of the government, despite not having departments of home and excise with it, the party put pressure to ensure that the law and order situation remained under control. That is not the case anymore,” Patra said.

Responding to the BJP’s charge, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said: “Jungle raj is in the Centre where ministers are scared to so much as squeak. There is a complete dictatorship. And for a debate, why don’t we pick up NCRB data? Where does Bihar stand and what is the situation in Delhi, where the Prime Minister resides? Fiction cannot change reality. It’s also good to see the BJP speaking on issues that matter, such as unemployment. We will fulfill our promise. But what about their promise of two crore jobs a year?”

His response came during an interaction with reporters after meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.