New Delhi: Hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal invited his Assam counterpart to the national capital, Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday (April 2, 2023) accepted his invitation but with a condition. Sarma accepted Kejriwal's invitation after the latter invited him to his Delhi residence and said that he will show him around the city and the "wonderful work" that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has done.
"I invite Himanta babu to come to my house in Delhi for tea. And if he can make time, also have a meal with me. I will show him around the city, the wonderful work we have done there," Kejriwal had said during a rally in Guwahati.
पूर्वोत्तर भारत में भी जनता अब आम आदमी पार्टी को बुला रही है। आज असम राज्य के गुवाहाटी में कार्यकर्ता सम्मेलन। https://t.co/ZiXI58uFn7
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 2, 2023
On his Delhi counterpart's invitation, Sarma said, "I will send 50 people from Assam, mostly journalists, and Kejriwal has to take them around Delhi. The only condition is that they have to be taken to the places we want to visit, not what he wants us to show."
"60 per cent of people of Delhi live in hell. In contrast, 95 per cent of Assam live in heaven," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader claimed.
केजरीवाल के साथ हम दिल्ली के दौरे पर जाएँगे, पर Lutyens और South Delhi नहीं। केजरीवाल के साथ उन जगहों पर जाएँगे जहाँ मैं ले कर जाऊँगा, जहाँ दिल्ली के 80% लोग रहते हैं। केजरीवाल ने दिल्ली के झुग्गी झोंपड़ी वाले लोगों का ज़िंदगी नर्क बना दिया है। न्यूनतम सुविधाएँ भी नहीं हैं। pic.twitter.com/0woWaA33qe
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 2, 2023
He also slammed the AAP chief for his comments during his Guwahati rally and called him a 'coward' whose 'heroism' is confined within the assembly.
"He had made charges of corruption against me in the Delhi Assembly, but I cannot act on it as he is protected by regulations. I had challenged him to repeat the same allegations outside the House and then I will see him in court," he said at a presser.
"But, he didn't have the courage to say anything here. He spoke a lot of 'anab-shanab' (rubbish), but nothing on charges against me," Sarma added.
The Assam CM had on Friday threatened to file a defamation case against Kejriwal if the Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged corruption cases against him outside the assembly.
"The heroism of Kejriwal is confined within the assembly as he is protected by privilege there," Sarma said.
On Kejriwal's claims at the Guwahati rally, where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was also present, on jobs provided by the Delhi government, Sarma said the figures were wrong and 60 per cent of citizens in the national capital were "living in hell".
"I spoke to officials in Delhi. They told me that there are 1.50 lakh government-sanctioned posts under the Delhi government. I will write to Kejriwal tomorrow to provide the break-up of the jobs, and I will also share the details of employment provided by our government," he said.
He also downplayed Kejriwal's promise of free electricity if AAP came to power in Assam and asserted that the northeastern state has the 'Orunudoi' scheme under which the state government credits Rs 1,400 per month in the bank accounts of economically backward families.
"Waiving only the electricity bill would have been cheaper for us," he said.
Live: Attending press conference at Panery, Udalguri https://t.co/teVe7866fX
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 2, 2023
Reacting to Kejriwal's critical comments on the recent question paper leak in Assam, Sarma claimed that the Class 12 English paper in Punjab, which also has an AAP government, had leaked and the examination was cancelled.
