A fresh spat has erupted between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) over the beautification of Delhi ahead of the G20 Summit in September. A day after the BJP claimed to have funded the makeover work in the national capital, the AAP has said that the Centre has not given a single penny for the makeover. It said that all money on PWD roads was spent by the PWD of the Delhi government and all money on the MCD roads was spent by the MCD. The central government has only spent money wherever NDMC and NHAI roads stand, it added, reported PTI.
On Sunday, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that the wall painting concept was introduced by the Centre first in the Pragati Maidan tunnel and later in the NDMC area. He slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet ministers and accused them of trying to steal credit for the city's makeover. Sachdeva said that what AAP is doing is 'regrettable'.
"I challenge Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal to cite even one project of beautification or development done by his government in Delhi for G20 preparations," he added, as per PTI.
Reacting to this, AAP Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said Delhi's beautification is done by the Kejriwal government and the MCD, and that the Centre has not given a 'penny' for the same.
"Every road that is being built by the PWD is from the Delhi government's fund. Every beautification work done by the MCD is sourced from funds allocated by the Delhi government. Delhi is the nation's capital...we also have the same duty as anyone else to make it look good," Bhardwaj said.
Taking a jibe at the BJP he said this is a result of a lack of education, adding "Had they had pursued studies, seen some paperwork so it would have been easy for them to understand".
The party said that it is shocked to see that the "BJP had to pass the developmental work done by the city government as its own".
"This level of politics is not going to help the country. We are about to host the G20 Summit where India is leading the charge, but the only thing BJP cares about is playing dirty politics," the party added.
Meanwhile, Sachdeva asserted that Delhi BJP will soon hold a press conference and present a full list of only G20-related development projects in the city funded by the Centre.
"Using small videos, Delhi BJP spokespersons and office bearers will take the Narendra Modi government's contribution in Delhi's makeover to the people," he added, as quoted by PTI.