Modi makes poll promises in Delhi; targets 'anarchist' Kejriwal

Sounding the poll bugle in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday wooed voters by making promises like electricity portability and housing for all as he singled out "anarchist" Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal for attack and asked people to punish him for "wasting" one year.

Without naming Kejriwal or his party, Modi said if the AAP leader wants to be an "anarchist" as he has claimed to be, he should go to jungles to join the Naxals, as Delhi cannot have anarchy.

Kejriwal, during a protest while being the chief minister last year, had said he was an "anarchist".

In his nearly 40-minute address, Modi appealed to the voters to elect the Bharatiya Janata Party which has "mastery in running the government" instead of those who have "mastery in dharnas and protests", an apparent reference to Kejriwal and his party.

"Can we give the task of cooking to a driver? Driver will drive well. That is why those people who have mastery in sitting on footpaths, blocking roads, doing dharnas everyday, should be given that work. Our mastery is running a good government. Give us that job," Modi told the gathering.

He also suggested that Kejriwal indulges in "lies" and said voters will punish him for that.

In an apparent reference to Kejriwal's comment made almost a year back that he was an "anarchist", Modi said, "If somebody is an anarchist, he should go to the jungles and join the Naxals. Do not allow Delhi's pride to be affected by anarchy. Delhi will not benefit from it."

Indirectly referring to resignation by the Kejriwal government on February 14 last year after being in power for 49 days, he said, "People should punish those because of whom one year of Delhi was wasted."

Delhi, which is under President's rule as no government could be found after Kejriwal resigned, is expected to have assembly polls next month.

At the rally at Ramlila Ground attended by all three new BJP chief ministers of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, Modi sought a clear mandate for his party to ensure all-round development and help create a "new" Delhi.

Promising to take Delhi to new heights of development, he said people on Friday will be given an option of choosing their power service provider on the lines of mobile number portability, becoming the first city to have such a facility.

He said the government was all set to take some "revolutionary steps in Delhi which no one had thought of" and talked about the option of choosing power service providers through portability on the line of mobile number portability.

"Just like you can choose the service provider for your mobile phone, you will be able to choose your electricity provider," Modi said.

Reaching out to the vast slum population, the prime minister said he has a dream of 'housing for all' and in this regard to make Delhi slum-free by 2022. "Your dream is my dream," he said, adding that steps have already been initiated in this regard by the urban development ministry.

He promised to make Delhi "generator-free" by providing electricity round the clock. "We will shut the voice of generators in Delhi. It will also help clean up the air by reducing poisonous gases."

He also pledged to usher in a corruption-free system, saying it has been started at the top at his level and gradually it will reach down to colonies.

Asking if anyone had heard any complaint about him ever since he took over as prime minister some seven months back, Modi said, "Trust me, I will clean up the system. I have started from the top and I will take it to the bottom. People take money from auto drivers, shopkeeper, the poor people...It will all stop."

Without naming anybody, Modi said a "factory of lies" has come up in the city and rumours are being spread that if the BJP comes to power, the retirement age of government employees will be reduced from the current 60 to 58 years.

He said those spreading lies cannot be defeated by anybody except by the people.

"The government never thought about it and never spoke about it. And still a lie is being spread. Every day a new lie is being manufactured. Spreading lies is their job and their politics. Modi can never back stab anyone... Elect a good government in Delhi. Give us a clear mandate," he said.

Assuring to end water woes in Delhi, the prime minister said BJP-ruled Haryana has promised to provide more water to Delhi after central intervention.

In this regard, he attacked the Congress, saying it was in power earlier both in Delhi and Haryana but spoke in different languages, leaving Delhiites thirsty.

While talking about schemes benefiting the poor, Modi referred to the Jan Dhan and said bankers, who earlier used to be reluctant to open accounts of the people from tje lower economic strata, are now going house-to-house to open zero-balance accounts.

"So far 11 crore accounts have been opened as against the target of seven crore by January 26," he said, adding that though people had an option of opening zero-balance accounts, Rs 8,500 crore were deposited by them. "In Delhi alone, 19.50 lakh accounts were opened under the scheme," he said.

He also hailed the people of Jammu and Kashmir for coming out in large numbers to defeat the separatist forces.

Modi termed Amit Shah as the "most successful" party president as under his leadership the party has achieved unprecedented success in various states.

During his address, Shah defended the party on the issue of black money. He said the government has taken a number of steps and disclosed 700 names to the SIT even though it is a "complex" issue with international treaties coming in the way of acting against offenders.

He also attacked the opposition for stalling key legislations in Parliament but asserted that all their attempts to stop the country from the path of development would prove futile and they would be "mistaken" in doing so.

Shah said the BJP will not allow the opposition to stop the government from ushering in development and has brought in ordinances, including those on coal block allocations, Land Acquisition Bill, FDI in insurance and mining sectors.

Shah also touted the government's achievement in passing a key law to regularise unauthorised colonies in the national capital, a promise fulfilled by the BJP made during the last assembly elections.

The BJP chief called upon the people of Delhi to ensure the party's victory by bringing in Modi's "victory chariot" to Delhi, after the party achieved unprecedented victories in the Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls.

Shah also said there has been a "big change" since the Modi government took charge as, unlike earlier, the "Hindustan army" is now hitting back harder in response to ceasefire violations.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing crowds at the Ramlila Maidan ahead of the Delhi assembly polls on January 10, 2015. Photograph: PTI Photo.