Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Delhi betrayed the autorickshaw drivers by not fulfilling its poll promises and bulldozing their homes without proper rehabilitation.
“They [BJP leaders] had promised big benefits to auto drivers during the [Assembly] election, but not a single one was fulfilled,” Mr. Kejriwal said while addressing a gathering of autorickshaw drivers at AAP’s headquarters.
For autorickshaw and taxi drivers, the BJP had promised life insurance up to ₹10 lakh, accident insurance up to ₹5 lakh, and scholarships for their children.
“For 10 years, our party served Delhi, and I never forgot you. I will have to wait for five years. It pains me to see your jhuggis being bulldozed, children’s books crushed under debris, and families forced onto the streets. They lured people with cash handouts and promises like ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan’ (a house where a slum is). But instead, it was ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Maidaan’ (a playground where a slum is),” he said.
This was Mr. Kejriwal’s first meeting after the Delhi Assembly election defeat with autorickshaw drivers, who have largely supported AAP since its inception in 2013.
