Centre is waging war against opposition governments’: Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of waging a war against state governments led by opposition parties.

Leaders and lawmakers from the Left Democratic Front of Kerala, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, staged a protest against the Union government at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Thursday. Kejriwal participated in the protest.

“The governments led by opposition parties represent 70 crore people in the country. The BJP has waged a war against the opposition-ruled states. They have created a India-Pakistan situation with us. The Centre is using all the tactics to harass the opposition governments,” alleged Kejriwal who took part in the protest.

He alleged that the Centre is not giving funds to the state governments, using Governors and Lt Governors to meddle in the functioning of the state governments and unleashing central agencies on the opposition leaders.

“It is depriving them of valid funds and obstructing work through Governors and LGs. It is also harassing them by using central agencies to arrest the opposition leaders. How will the governments work?”

He said the protesters were not “here to beg or ask for anything for our families”.

“I have come here to ask for the right of two crore people. If you do not give us funds how will we build roads, provide electricity and work for development. How can you snatch the people’s rights?” the Aam Aadmi Party national convener said.

Citing Punjab’s instance, he said the state government had to move the Supreme Court for release of rural development fund.

“The SC has fixed the matter for hearing next week. Immediately we received a call from Centre asking us to come and sit with them for a discussion. The Delhiites pay Rs 2 lakh crore as income tax and out of that, they only get Rs 325 crore. Even the British did not loot the country like this during the 100 years they were here,” he claimed.