The Delhi Congress called the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) manifesto yet another "Khokhle Wadon Ka Tokra, Phir Se" (pack of empty promises, yet again) as it was repeating virtually the same set of lies which AAP could not deliver in the past six years.
Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra asked what circumstances prevented the AAP from fulfilling promises it made despite having an absolute majority in the Assembly. Chopra said the AAP which came to power on the assurance to pass Jan Lokpal immediately but has it has not done it though six years have elapsed.
Commenting on its promise to appoint new "safai karamcharis", he said it was a big joke. "The AAP Government did not regularise the contractual sanitation workers and also delayed their wages, resulted in repeated strike which left mounts of garbage on Delhi streets," he said.
"The AAP Government also did not streamline the utilization of garbage dumps and neither created innovative methods for its disposal. Many sanitation workers had died while cleaning sewers and instead of promising Rs 1 crore compensation to families of all those Safai Karamcharis who died while performing duty, the AAP Government should have ensured that not such death happen in future by modernizing the sewer cleaning, instead of sticking with the prevailing primitive ways," he added.
Chopra said that AAP was reiterating the old "full Statehood for Delhi promise" knowing very well that there were not many takers for this promise and AAP itself seemed to have abandoned it as none of the AAP leaders have raised it in the present Assembly election campaign.
"The AAP's promise to extend the metro network to 500km was a hoax as it could not even complete the third phase which is running three years behind schedule. While the fourth phase is clouded in uncertainty," he said.
Chopra said that it has become a big joke regarding the "Yamuna Riverside Development" and world class roads promises as the AAP should first clean up the toxic Yamuna and repair the broken roads before making such tall promises. "The AAP in its manifesto had said that in association with the Central Government, it will regularize unauthorised colonies and give ownership rights to the people. This announcement is nothing but to mislead the people of unauthorised colonies as during its tenure, the AAP Government only traded charges and counter charges with the BJP Government on this issue.
"AAP is lying about giving legal protection to street vendors as it has failed to implement the Street Vendors Protection Act, passed by the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre. When street vendors were being uprooted in Delhi, it was the Congress party which fought for their protection, while the AAP Government remained silent," he added.
DPCC spokesperson Anil Bhardwaj said that "protection from sealing" was yet another blatant lie of the AAP as when shops and industrial units were being sealed, AAP and BJP just watched as moot spectators rather than doing something to prevent the great injustice.