Swachh Bharat Abhiyan only 'showbaazi': Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he has witnessed only “showbaazi” and not any real action in the Swachh Bharat campaign, even as he announced construction of over 750 new toilets in the national capital.

Without naming Narendra Modi, Kejriwal, on the first anniversary of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, said, “Nothing has happened in the last one year. On this day, last year, Swachh Bharat campaign was launched and I along with the citizens of the country had participated in it. There was a hope that perhaps now India will become clean.”

“In the last one year, I haven’t seen any action apart from advertisements or showbaazi. I can’t see any street which has become clean. I want to say that we all should work on this. Let us all talk less and work more,” he added.

“1 year of swachh bharat. Which streets got cleaned as a result of “this campaign”? How much budget spent on it? Time to question symbolism,” he tweeted.

Kejriwal also said the state government will construct more than 750 new toilets in the national capital.

“Delhi government has also taken a pledge to build toilets across the slums of Delhi by March 31. The existing toilets in the slums will also be cleaned and water supply will be provided,” Kejriwal said while inaugurating a toilet block in Majnu Ka Tila area.

“Today, the Aam Aadmi Party government has added 350 new toilet seats across Delhi in 10 new toilet blocks. In the last six months, 750 toilet seats have been added,” he added.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched last year on the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The campaign aims at making India a clean country by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Kejriwal also later criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not paying tributes to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 111th birth anniversary at Vijay Ghat. Kejriwal also accused the Central government of “stopping” funds meant for celebrating the birth anniversary of India’s second prime minister.

“When I visited to pay tributes to Shastriji, I got to know that Centre has stopped giving funds from this year to celebrate Shastriji’s birthday,” Kejriwal said in a series of tweets.

“I also got to know that the PM did not visit Vijay Ghat. I feel that ignoring Shastri Ji is not right,” he said.