Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Gujarat unit chief C R Paatil and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal got into a verbal duel on social media on Thursday over the latter’s promise to provide free electricity to the people of the state.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal gave a “guarantee” that his party will provide free electricity of up to 300 units per month to each household in Gujarat if voted to power. Addressing people at a town hall meet in Surat, the Delhi chief minister also promised round-the-clock power supply without any cuts to the people of Gujarat, where Assembly elections are due in December this year.
In a tweet after the announcement, Paatil quoted a Sanskrit proverb to ask why should anyone be “poor in using words”. But Kejriwal responded to him saying providing free electricity was not just a promise but a guarantee by him, which he would fulfil.
“Vachanam kim daridrata. Meaning why should we be poor in using words,” Paatil tweeted in Hindi shortly after Kejriwal made the promise.
“Paatil saheb, this is the guarantee of Kejriwal. Whatever we promise we fulfil. Why are you opposing it when people are benefiting from it? Kejriwal tweeted in response to the Paatil’s criticism of his poll promise.
On Wednesday, Paatil had targeted Kejriwal by saying that the culture of distributing ‘revadi’ or freebies would eventually turn Gujarat and India into Sri Lanka, which is currently grappling with a severe economic crisis.
Speaking in Surat on Thursday, Kejriwal said distributing revadi is like giving ‘prasad’ of the God to people and said it was not a sin. He said the move would turn Gujarat into Sri Lanka.
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