‘Lie-Producing Factory’: Hardeep Singh Puri Criticises Kejriwal, Accuses AAP of Corruption

New Delhi: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri strongly criticised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on multiple fronts on Monday, accusing them of neglecting governance and engaging in corruption. 

Speaking on various issues, Puri said that Kejriwal was focusing only on choosing the next Chief Minister from his party's successful MLAs, instead of addressing the work that had been done. 

He labeled AAP as a "lie-producing factory" and called for social activist Anna Hazare to return to Delhi and observe the situation.

Puri aimed at the Delhi government's failure to implement central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, questioning Kejriwal's credibility. 

He further alleged that the Delhi Chief Minister had shifted focus from building schools to just creating classrooms, with the government even counting washrooms as classrooms. "Kejriwal has a lot to answer for," Puri stated.

‘Delay in submitting reports raises doubts’, Says Puri

On the issue of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports, Puri lashed out at Delhi's AAP government for delaying the submission of the CAG reports stating that they should have been sent to the Speaker for discussion.

He said that the delayed reports could impact the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Puri, speaking with ANI, said, “There are as many as 14 CAG reports on issues ranging from finance, public health, liquor, etc... The High Court today said that the CAG reports were to be sent to the Speaker and there should have been a discussion. The delay in submitting the reports raises doubts. If someone does a scam, there will be an impact on the elections.”

This comes after the High Court strongly criticised the Delhi Government, stating, "The way you've delayed the process raises doubts about your bona fides." This came after the court condemned the government's delay in forwarding the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports. The court pointed out, "You should have promptly sent the reports to the Speaker and initiated a discussion in the House."

A bench led by Justice Sachin Datta questioned the handling of the reports, remarking, "The timeline is clear; you've delayed the process to prevent the session from taking place." It further stated, "The delay in sending the reports to the Lieutenant Governor and your overall management of the matter raise serious doubts about your intentions."

Puri Denies Allegations of Fake Voter Cards, Refutes AAP's Claims

Responding to allegations about BJP 's alleged fake voter cards, Puri denied the accusations. He questioned whether Rohingya refugees, whom AAP had accused the BJP of bringing to Delhi, would ever vote for the party. He also refuted claims made by AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan about distributing Rs. 10,000 to settle people and making money by issuing Aadhaar cards.