Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said all domestic consumers in Gujarat will get up to 300 units of electricity free per month if his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is voted to power in the state Assembly elections, due in December this year.
“We will provide 300 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers. We will ensure 24X7 electricity supply in all cities and villages,” he said at a press conference in Surat city of Gujarat.
The AAP national convener promised to waive all the old electricity bills up to December 31, 2021, if his party gets a chance to rule the state.
“All pending electricity bills up to 31st December 2021 will be waived off,” the Delhi CM said.
The Delhi chief minister reached Surat late Wednesday night and said that in the next few weeks, his party would share with the people of Gujarat its agenda on what it plans to do for them if it comes to power in the state.
Ahead of Kejriwal’s visit to the state, BJP Gujarat unit chief CR Paatil cautioned people that they should not get misguided by the “revadi culture” of freebies as it could eventually turn the state and India into economic crisis-hit Sri Lanka.
Responding to BJP leader’s statement, the AAP chief said that when “revadi” is distributed among the public for free then it is called “prasad”.
“Some people are talking about ‘revadi’ (sweet)..when ‘revadi’ is distributed among public for free, then it’s called ‘prasad’ (devotional offering). But when it is given for free to your own friends, ministers, then it is ‘paap’ (sin),” he said, hitting back at the BJP.
Revadi’ is a popular sweet specially distributed during festivals in north India.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned people, especially the youth, against what he called the “revadi culture” under which votes were sought by promising freebies and said it could be “very dangerous” for the country’s development.
In a sharp rebuttal, the AAP chief had then said that his government is not distributing freebies but laying the foundation of the country by providing free education, electricity and healthcare.
He also said that providing free education and healthcare is not freebies, but “waiving loans of friends is called “free ki revadi”.
This is the AAP chief’s second visit to the state so far this month. He had last visited the poll-bound state on July 3.
“I visited Gujarat several times in the recent past, and people of the state have given a lot of love. The people of Gujarat are fed up with 27 years of the BJP rule and want a change,” Kejriwal had said after landing at the Surat airport.
We have talked to the public about what they want and in the next few weeks, we will put before them our agenda, as to what our agenda will be when voted to power,” he said, PTI reported.
