In his first Karnataka poll rally, Arvind Kejriwal targets BJP on corruption

“In 2018, during the Karnataka polls, the prime minister said there is a ‘20 per cent’ government in the state. He said ‘vote for me and I will end corruption’. He said ‘please create a double-engine government’,” Kejriwal said. “People thought the PM must be telling the truth and they facilitated the ‘double-engine’ government, but in the ‘double-engine’ government, it is corruption that has doubled from 20 per cent commissions to 40 per cent commissions.”

“Corruption has doubled from 20 per cent to 40 per cent. This time do not let in a ‘double-engine’ government. Otherwise commission will be sought at the rate of 80 per cent, and later it will be 100 per cent. Wherever I go, I tell the people not to support ‘double-engine’ governments. ‘Double-engine’ governments are wrong and what is needed is a ‘mono-engine’ government. The Aam Aadmi Party is a new engine,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal referred to the recent arrest of a BJP MLA’s son in a corruption case and said the BJP was not capable of dealing with corruption.

“If any government work has to be done, a 40 per cent commission has to be paid. A few days ago Amit Shah visited Karnataka. He called for support for the BJP… He said ‘we will get rid of corruption’. Then somebody reminded him that his government was in power,” Kejriwal said.

“For the last five years, their government has been in power. If they are now saying they will get rid of corruption, what were they doing for the last five years?” he said.

“Soon after Amit Shah boarded a flight and left the state, the son of an MLA of his party was arrested with Rs 8 crore. They have not arrested the MLA as yet and it looks like they will award him a Padma Bhushan next year. Any criminal or anyone involved in illegal activities they are taking into their party (BJP),” he said.

Kejriwal also said the arrest of his deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, in the excise policy case by the CBI was unjust. “In the raid in Karnataka, Rs 8 crore was found but the person who was arrested was Manish Sisodia. It is a great injustice. They conducted a raid at the home of Manish Sisodia but found nothing. They say Manish Sisodia swallowed Rs 100 crore and sometimes it is Rs 1,000 crore. If Manish Sisodia had eaten Rs 100 crore to Rs 1,000 crore, something should have been found in his house. They found Rs 10,000 in the entire raid. There was nothing in his bank account,” Kejriwal said.

If elected to power in Karnataka, the AAP will provide a “hardcore honest government” and make Karnataka the number one state in the country, the Delhi chief minister said.

“In Punjab, one of our ministers got caught in irregularities and Mann sahab sent him to jail. His own minister was sent to jail. A few days ago, one of our own MLAs was caught for irregularities and Mann sahab sent him to jail as well. Zero tolerance. We are not partial to any parties, unlike them. We are not arresting only Congress and Akalis. Those who are involved in corruption will all be arrested. Even if my son is involved in corruption, he will be arrested,” Kejriwal claimed.

Referring to a series of incidents of corruption in Karnataka, the Delhi chief minister said that bribes needed to be paid for services in the state.

“Everything is for sale in the state. If you want to become a police sub-inspector, you have to pay Rs 55 lakh. At the rate of Rs 25 lakh, you can become a lecturer. These policemen who pay Rs 55 lakh to join the service will take bribes. A lecturer who pays bribes…what kind of a teacher will they be to students? MLAs are for sale. Their own MLA has said that if you have Rs 2,500 crore, you can become the CM. What is this? Throw these parties away,” he said.

“The contractors in Karnataka are living in fear. They fear officers and the government. They work under great fear. The contractors all got together for the first time and wrote to PM Modi that officials are asking for 40 per cent commissions. They wrote to the PM. They have been writing for two years. They say ‘how can we work in this situation’, but there has been no response from Modi-ji,” Kejriwal said.

“In the last five years to repair the roads of Bengaluru, Rs 20,000 crore has been spent but not even 20 roads are repaired. At least 100 people have died in potholes in the city. Where has the Rs 20,000 crore gone? They have eaten up all the money,” he said.