Kejriwal says his governance deserves Nobel Prize
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Mohali: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stirred a political controversy on Tuesday by stating that he deserves a Nobel Prize for governance and administration, despite continuous efforts by the BJP-led central government to obstruct his work.
Addressing a public gathering in Mohali, Punjab, Kejriwal said, “We worked despite not being allowed to work for as long as our government was in power in Delhi. I feel I should get a Nobel Prize for governance and administration for the amount of work I did during my tenure as Chief Minister.”
Kejriwal reiterated his long-standing allegation that Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena acted on the instructions of the Union government to hinder the AAP government's functioning. He further accused the BJP-ruled municipal corporation of deliberately sabotaging key welfare initiatives, especially the party’s flagship Mohalla Clinics.
“You will be surprised to know that we managed to build Mohalla Clinics despite facing numerous hurdles. The BJP-led municipal corporation sent bulldozers and demolished five of these government clinics. What did they gain from that?” he asked.
He criticised the state of affairs in Delhi following the recent reduction in the AAP’s administrative powers and the BJP’s rise in the Capital, claiming the city's situation has worsened over the past four months.
“Today, the people of Delhi are realising what they lost. The BJP has ruined Delhi. Mohalla Clinics are shutting down, hospitals have stopped providing free medicines and diagnostic tests, and the city is littered with filth,” Kejriwal asserted.
The AAP chief also highlighted several of his government’s flagship welfare initiatives, including free electricity up to 200 units per household and 20,000 litres of free water per family, alongside prioritisation of education and healthcare.
He credited his government with shifting the national discourse on governance: “Earlier, everyone only talked about privatisation. Today, government schools and hospitals are being discussed because of us.”
Recalling his early political struggle, Kejriwal said, “In 2013, I fasted for 15 days over Delhi’s power crisis. People were receiving electricity bills of thousands of rupees with no supply. I even climbed electricity poles myself to reconnect wires.”
Kejriwal’s remarks have drawn sharp criticism from political opponents, who have repeatedly accused him of making exaggerated or false claims.
With IANS inputs
