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Tag: Kejriwal

  • Arvind Kejriwal begins day-long meditation to ‘pray for country’

    Arvind Kejriwal begins day-long meditation to ‘pray for country’

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    New Delhi: On the occasion of Holi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal began a seven-hour-long meditation from 10 am on Wednesday.

    Taking to Twitter, AAP shared pictures of Kejriwal meditating and said, “Today Kejriwal ji will pray for the country.”

    Prior to starting meditation, Kejriwal paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat.

    On Tuesday, Kejriwal said that those doing good work are being arrested.

    Vipassana is said to be one of India’s oldest meditation practices.

    The Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday announced that he will meditate today and not celebrate Holi in the wake of the arrests of party leaders Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia.

    In a video message, the Delhi Chief Minister said that the country’s situation is worrying and therefore he will pray for the country.
    Kejriwal also said that Sisodia and Jain are in jail but no action has been taken against Adani.

    “A country where the Prime Minister jails people who provide good education and good health facilities to people and supports those who rob the country, it is worrying. I will meditate and pray for the country. If you also think what Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing is wrong and you, too, are worried about the country, then I urge you, after celebrating Holi, please take out time to pray for the country,” he added.

    The Chief Minister said he was not worried about Jain and Sisodia being in jail.

    “They are brave and are ready to sacrifice their lives for the country. But the sorry state of affairs in the country worries me,” he said.

    Satyendar Jain was arrested in May last year and Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case.



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Kejriwal throws open Ashram flyover extension, commuters heave sigh of relief

    Kejriwal throws open Ashram flyover extension, commuters heave sigh of relief

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    New Delhi: The much-awaited Ashram flyover extension will help commuters bypass three traffic lights and commute ‘signal free’ between Noida and AIIMS, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.

    Kejriwal inaugurated the key flyover extension on Monday, bringing relief to commuters waiting for it to open for over two months.

    The chief minister said the extension will also bring relief from long traffic jams in the area, particularly during office-going hours.

    “People will be able to reach Noida from AIIMS quickly since they will be able to bypass three traffic signals between Ashram and DND,” he said.

    The AAP national convener added that only a few minor tasks are left to be completed before the flyover can become fully operational.

    “Initially, only light vehicles will be permitted to use it for a brief period because of a high-tension wire that still needs to be removed. Once this is done, other vehicles will also be allowed. The total length of the flyover, including the ramp, is 1,425 metres,” he said.

    The chief minister congratulated the people of Delhi and acknowledged that although the flyover extension’s construction caused some traffic-related inconvenience, it was necessary to bring positive change.

    He also apologised for any trouble caused during the construction period but emphasised that the project’s completion will bring new opportunities.

    Kejriwal recognised the hard work of Public Works department (PWD) engineers and congratulated them on completing the project ahead of schedule despite initial doubts about the plan to finish it between 45 and 60 days.

    Anant Kumar, the Public Works department’s engineer-in-chief, said light vehicles will be allowed on the extended flyover for a month. Heavy vehicles will be allowed following completion of the remaining work, likely by March-end.

    The Ashram flyover was closed for traffic from January 1.

    The mega project received clearance from the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre in 2017 and administrative approval of Rs 129 crore was granted in 2019, Kumar said.

    While construction began in 2020, the project was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown for eight to 10 months.

    The final cost of the project came to Rs 164 crore.

    “Some work on the project was also supposed to be done by the National Highways Authority of India but the PWD took over from them due to the slow progress,” Kumar said.

    The senior PWD official said they have also developed a subway at the Maharani Bagh Ring Road stretch to help pedestrians.

    According to commuters and local residents, reopening of the flyover will not only ease traffic congestion in the area but also help people reach markets and hospitals in less time.

    Pradeep Anand, president of Sunlight Colony Residents’ Welfare Association, said people residing near the flyover and other areas had been facing a harrowing time for the past two months.

    “Since the traffic signal was closed, we had no other option but to take a U-turn from Sarai Kale Khan but it would take us nearly 30 minutes as the U-turn stretch was long and there would be heavy traffic congestion,” he said.

    The traffic signal connecting Sunlight Colony with New Friends Colony where Holy Family Hospital is situated was also shut, compounding their woes.

    “The nearest hospital for us is Holy Family Hospital in the New Friends Colony area. During emergencies, it would take us nearly an hour to reach the hospital after taking the U-turn from Sarai Kale Khan,” Anand said.

    Sushil Singh, a trader from Lajpat Nagar, said people would not be able to reach markets from Noida quickly when the flyover was shut.

    “When this (flyover) was closed, people would hate travelling by road from Noida to Lajpat Nagar. We also saw a decline in business. But now people will return to our market,” he hoped.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Kejriwal extends support to Kapil Sibal’s new platform ‘Insaaf’

    Kejriwal extends support to Kapil Sibal’s new platform ‘Insaaf’

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    New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to people, including lawyers, to join Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal’s newly launched platform ‘Insaaf’ to fight injustice.

    It’s a very good initiative, he said.

    Sibal, an eminent lawyer and an independent Rajya Sabha member, announced on Saturday that he was launching a new platform called ‘Insaaf’ to fight “injustice” prevailing in the country, and sought the support of chief ministers and other Opposition leaders.

    “This is a very important initiative of Kapil Sibal sahib. I appeal to everyone to join this and we will fight injustice together,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

    Later, speaking to reporters, the Delhi chief minister said Sibal is a well-known lawyer who is very active when it comes to social and political issues.

    With his initiative, Sibal wants to connect people from various sections of the society, especially lawyers from across the country, he said.

    It’s a very good initiative by Sibal, the AAP national convener added.

    “I appeal to the lawyers and people of the country to join this initiative and make every possible effort to help aggrieved persons get justice, wherever there is injustice with anybody, Kejriwal said.

    The Delhi BJP, however, reminded Kejriwal that when he was part of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, its members had staged a protest outside Sibal’s residence and called him a “thief”.

    “During the IAC movement, a demonstration was organised outside Kapil Sibal’s house and he was called a thief, and today sahib,” Delhi BJP spokesperson Khemchand Sharma said in a tweet in response to Kejriwal’s post.

    “Now neither the contractor of thieves nor the sahib of thieves will be able to save the corrupt,” the BJP leader said in Hindi.

    Announcing his new platform on Saturday, Sibal alleged a government working against the citizens is at the helm.

    He said he would hold a public meeting of the new platform at Jantar Mantar on March 11 and put forward a new vision of India there. He said it was an open invitation to everyone, including opposition leaders and common people, to join him at the event.

    Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray also came out in support of his ‘Insaaf’ platform.

    “Everyone who wants democracy to survive and thrive should stand firmly with Kapil Sibal in his new initiative,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

    Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also expressed solidarity with Sibal’s “ideas” and said lawyers along with the people of India must unite to “save” the unity and integrity of the country.

    “We are in solidarity with your ideas, Kapil Sibal ji. I agree lawyers have an important role and along with citizens of India they must unite to save the unity and integrity of this great country,” the RJD leader said in a tweet on Saturday.

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    #Kejriwal #extends #support #Kapil #Sibals #platform #Insaaf

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • CM Kejriwal to inaugurate Ashram flyover extension on Monday

    CM Kejriwal to inaugurate Ashram flyover extension on Monday

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    New Delhi: Commuting between Delhi and Noida will become hassle-free after the Ashram flyover extension is opened to public on Monday.

    Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will inaugurate the flyover extension, which will allow motorists to bypass three traffic lights between Ashram Chowk and DND and make vehicular movement smoother.

    The project was supposed to be inaugurated on February 28, but the event was postponed.

    Officials had initially suggested that the delay was because of then PWD Minister Manish Sisodia’s arrest, but Chief Minister Kejriwal told a press conference later that it was due to some pending work.

    “It is likely to be inaugurated on Monday. The postponement was not due to (arrest of) Sisodia, but because a few works were left,” he had said.

    Kailash Gahlot, who was handed over the additional charge of Public Works Department (PWD) following Sisodia’s resignation, will be present at the inauguration of the flyover extension on Monday.

    Former minister Sisodia had said it was a herculean task to build a flyover in the middle of such a busy road but the PWD engineers undertook the challenge and delivered.

    He had said after the completion of this flyover, lakhs of people commuting from Noida and other parts of Delhi to south Delhi will not face traffic jams.

    At present, traffic jams are witnessed from the DND loop to the Ashram intersection.

    Vehicles now have to take a long route to cross the road from Kilokari, but soon, 150 meters away from Kilokari to Ring Road, drivers will be able to cross the road by taking a U-turn to reach Maharani Bagh or south Delhi, officials said.

    Similarly, vehicles going from Maharani Bagh to Sarai Kale Khan, Noida, ITO and Ghaziabad will not have to take long detours. A subway for pedestrians is also being constructed here, they added.

    The construction work of the flyover extension started in June 2020 after the project was approved by the Cabinet.

    The total cost of the project is Rs 128.25 crore while the total length of the flyover including the ramp is 1,425 metres.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Kejriwal, Mann to address AAP workers in Raipur on Sunday

    Kejriwal, Mann to address AAP workers in Raipur on Sunday

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    Raipur: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal will be on a one-day visit to Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on Sunday to boost AAP’s preparations for the assembly elections in the state scheduled later this year, a party leader said.

    Kejriwal will be accompanied by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and the duo will address a party workers’ convention here.

    The AAP had tried its luck for the first time in Chhattisgarh assembly polls in 2018 and fielded candidates in 85 of 90 seats but failed to achieve success. However, a landslide win in Punjab last year turbocharged its national ambitions.

    Even though it won in just five constituencies despite running a high-decibel campaign in Gujarat, where the Bharatiya Janata Party won a record 156 seats, the party garnered about 13 per cent vote share. On Saturday, AAP also announced its plans to contest all 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, which too goes to polls this year.

    The visit of the AAP top leadership and their interaction with party workers will further strengthen the preparations for the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Delhi minister and the party’s state election in-charge Gopal Rai told reporters here.

    The two leaders will address the party workers’ convention in Jora ground in front of the Agriculture university around 3 pm on Sunday, he said.

    Rai accused the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party that have governed the state since it was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000. The present Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government has completely failed on the law and order front, he claimed.

    Highlighting several schemes of the Kejriwal government in New Delhi in just few years of its rule, Rai demanded to know why Chhattisgarh has failed to register such achievements in so many years.

    He said the BJP and Congress have been seeking votes through false promises and populist announcements.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Change for a ‘new engine’: Kejriwal at first AAP poll rally in Karnataka

    Change for a ‘new engine’: Kejriwal at first AAP poll rally in Karnataka

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    Davangere: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday appealed to the people of poll-bound Karnataka to give his Aam Aadmi Party a chance to give a corruption-free government for five years.

    He also promised to give free electricity, quality education in government schools and good healthcare for the state’s people.

    Addressing his maiden election public meeting in Karnataka, the AAP supremo said the party has zero tolerance for corruption as a minister and an MLA in party-ruled Punjab were jailed.

    “We are staunch honest. We will give a corruption-free government. We will give free electricity, build good government schools and provide quality education,” Kejriwal said.

    Assembly elections are due in Karnataka by May.

    The AAP chief alleged that corruption in the state doubled since the last assembly polls in 2018 and urged the people to vote in a ‘new engine’ government by throwing out the ‘double-engine’ regime of the BJP.

    Taking a dig at the ruling BJP in Karnataka, Kejriwal alleged that there is a 40 per cent commission government running in the state.

    “The people of Karnataka are good but the leaders are not. They defamed and destroyed the state before the world. There is a 40 per cent commission government here in which 40 per cent cut is taken in every public work,” Kejriwal alleged.

    In this context, he mentioned the recovery of Rs 8.23 crore unaccounted cash from Channagiri BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashanth Kumar M V.

    “Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah came to Karnataka and appealed to the people to give absolute majority in the upcoming assembly election so that a corruption-free government can be established in the state. Then, someone reminded him that already there is a BJP government in the state. I want to ask him why you could not eradicate corruption in the last four years,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.

    He said the very next day after Shah flew back to Delhi, a BJP MLA’s son was caught with crores of unaccounted cash.

    “That MLA and his son who hail from Davangere have not been arrested yet. Instead, Manish Sisodia was arrested,” Kejriwal said referring to Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia’s arrest by the CBI in the excise policy scam case.

    He added that the raids at Sisodia’s house could not yield anything.

    “They (BJP) alleged that Sisodia hushed up hundreds of crores of rupees. If that was true, then at least some crore of rupees should have been found but only Rs 10,000 was found,” Kejriwal claimed.

    Taking a jibe at the BJP, the Delhi Chief Minister said the MLA in the dock may be given Padma Bhushan award next year. “All the criminals be it thieves, robbers, rowdies or rapists are absorbed in the BJP,” he further claimed.

    After the BJP formed governments in Nagaland and Tripura and formed a coalition government in Meghalaya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech during the victory celebrations in Delhi asked people to stay away from ‘staunch honest people’, Kejriwal said.

    “We did not fight the election in these three states but the Prime Minister mentioned us. He asked people to stay away from staunch honest people. He is afraid of us,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.

    He ‘advised’ Modi not to be jealous of “AAP, the fastest growing party”. “Learn from us. You too become honest just like us,” the AAP supremo quipped.

    Stating that AAP is a ‘staunch honest’ party, Kejriwal said raids never led to any recovery.

    The Delhi Chief Minister said during the 2018 assembly elections in Karnataka, there was a ’20 per cent commission government’ in the state.

    “The Prime Minister came to Karnataka and alleged that there is a 20 per cent commission government (during 2018 polls). He assured that he will eradicate corruption if the ‘double-engine government’ is formed in the state,” the AAP chief said.

    He added that people trusted the Prime Minister’s words and formed the ‘double engine government’ (BJP government in the Centre and the state).

    Corruption doubled in the state from 20 per cent to 40 per cent commission, the Delhi CM alleged.

    Kejriwal said: “I will tour across the country and tell everyone not to form the double engine government. Corruption doubles in double-engine government. We need a new engine government.”

    BJP MLA Virupakshappa has been booked while his son Prashanth, a government officer, was arrested by Lokayukta following raids in several places in the state.

    The AAP chief added that the state contractors’ association president Kempanna wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the ministers in Karnataka are demanding 40 per cent commission.

    Instead of addressing the octogenarian office-bearer’s grievance or taking action against the ministers and MLAs, the 82-year-old contractor was arrested in a defamation case, Kejriwal alleged.

    The Delhi Chief Minister charged that 40 per cent commission is charged from contractors, private unaided schools and Maths (hermitage).

    Kejriwal said in the last five years, Rs 20,000 crore was spent on repairing the pothole ridden Bengaluru roads but not even 20 potholes were filled.

    Due to this indifferent government, over 100 people lost their lives due to potholes, he claimed.

    Highlighting the corruption prevailing in the state, Kejriwal said bribes are taken to recruit police sub-inspectors and lecturers.

    “Even the MLAs are on sale. The ruling party MLA has said that anyone who has Rs 2,500 crore can become the chief minister in Karnataka. Throw them out and give a chance to the staunch honest AAP,” the party chief said.

    Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann too addressed the public meeting.



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Arvind Kejriwal at Okhla landfill site

    Arvind Kejriwal at Okhla landfill site

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    Arvind Kejriwal at Okhla landfill site



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Our target is to clear all three landfill sites in Delhi by December, 2024: Kejriwal

    Our target is to clear all three landfill sites in Delhi by December, 2024: Kejriwal

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    New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday visited the Okhla landfill site and said the target is to clear the city of all three mountains of garbage by December 2024.

    Kejriwal, during his visit to the site in south Delhi, was accompanied by his cabinet colleague Kailash Gahlot, Mayor Shelly Oberoi and Municipal Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti.

    The monstrous Okhla landfill was commissioned in 1990s and it reached its saturation point several years ago.

    The Okhla landfill site contains about 40 lakh MT of legacy waste in it.

    In the last few years, about 20-25 lakh MT have been removed from it, but about 40 lakh MT still remains in it, Kejriwal told reporters at the site.

    “The scheduled set target to remove this mountain of garbage is by May 2024. But, all officers and engineers are working on it, and our target is to try to remove it by December 2023, instead of May next year,” he said.

    There is a lot of capacity for biomining here (about 17,000 MT), but the capacity to remove waste from the landfill and dispose it is less, the chief minister said.

    Its current daily disposal capacity is 4,000-4,500 MT. But, by April 1, “we will augment it to 10,000 MT daily”, he added.

    Kejriwal said he will visit the Okhla landfill site again to carry out an inspection on April 1.

    “And, by June, we expect to augment it further to 15,000 MT daily disposal capacity. If we go by 15,000 MT capacity, then by December-January, we will reach out target of cleaning this (Okhla) site by December-January, and local residents will also get relief,” he said.

    Similarly, work is underway at Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfill sites, and when we will visit there in the next couple of days, we will take stock of the situation there too, he said.

    Asked when will Delhi become free of these landfill sites, he said, “One will be cleared by May, and another one six months later.”

    So, December next year, that is our target, he added.

    Speaking to PTI, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot noted that the AAP government is hopeful that Delhi will be free from all the landfill sites by December 2024.

    On the Okhla landfill site, he said, “We are hopeful of achieving the daily disposal rate of 10,000 MT by April, and 15,000 MT by June.”

    The minister also spoke on the upcoming Delhi budget.

    “The budget will be on time. We are having a series of meetings, and very soon we will finalise the budget. Delhi will get it on time,” he said.

    Talking about the alternatives once the landfill sites are cleared, Kejriwal said waste-to-energy plants and biomethanation plants will help in the disposal of waste.

    However, he did not elaborate on it, more so when Delhi generates a massive amount of waste daily.

    The city cumulatively generates around 11,400 metric tonnes of garbage, out of which nearly 6,200 metric tonnes is dumped at three landfills, that is, Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalaswa, civic officials had said in 2021.

    Kejriwal said a plan is to make a big C&D (construction and delomolition) waste plant to make bricks, and a biomethanation plant, after the Okhla landfill site is cleared.

    Asked about the stalling of the election of the standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which is affecting civic work, he said, “Work will go on, do not worry.”

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Karnataka: Kejriwal to announce AAP’s ‘guarantees’ on Mar 4

    Karnataka: Kejriwal to announce AAP’s ‘guarantees’ on Mar 4

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    AAP holds 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' against targeted killings in Kashmir

    Bengaluru: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann will address a public gathering in the district headquarters town of Davangere on Saturday, in a move to step up Aam Aadmi Party’s preparations for Assembly elections in Karnataka, due by May.

    According to AAP, the two leaders will also administer an oath to the party’s state office bearers, block and circle committee members from all 224 constituencies to work to bring honesty and integrity to Karnataka politics.

    Karnataka AAP state convener Prithvi Reddy said major “plans and guarantees” to the people of the state would be announced.

    “This programme will be the first of various events in which Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and various AAP leaders are expected to participate in the campaign leading up to Karnataka elections,” he added.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Delhi liquor scam: Watch Kejriwal, Sisodia in ‘BJP’s Baahubali’

    Delhi liquor scam: Watch Kejriwal, Sisodia in ‘BJP’s Baahubali’

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    Baahubalii Kejriwal BJP

    New Delhi: The Delhi BJP has used a small clip from the blockbuster ‘Baahubali’ movie to mock Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia.

    The party unit shared the clip on Twitter on Wednesday and captioned it: “Must watch this film of liquor scam mastermind Kejriwal.”

    In the clip which runs over a minute, Sisodia’s face has been superimposed on a man serving liquor at a tavern.

    Kejriwal then walks into the tavern and asks for alcohol. When served, he keeps asking for a bigger peg.

    As Sisodia asks for money, Kejriwal is seen throwing a heap of gold coins, saying he has enough money to buy drinks for the whole tavern.

    This comes days after Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise police case.

    He resigned as a Minister on Tuesday.

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    #Delhi #liquor #scam #Watch #Kejriwal #Sisodia #BJPs #Baahubali

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )