NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is ‘rewarding Beijing’ instead of ‘punishing’ them. Kejriwal said that the Centre has allowed imports from the country even after many Indian soldiers put their lives at risk fighting the Chinese troops.
His statement came during the 11th national council meeting of the party on Sunday. He made the statement after the recent India-China face-off in Arunachal Pradesh. He asked the government to show “some courage and respect” for the country’s soldiers.
The AAP convenor said that while Chinese aggression is increasing at the border, the BJP-led Centre says “everything is alright”. “Don’t you have any respect for our soldiers? Show some courage. China will come to its senses if India stops imports,” he said.
He also appealed everyone to boycott Chinese products saying, “They say Chinese products are cheap, we do not want cheap products. We are ready to buy made-in-India products even if it costs us double.”
He also made a scathing attack on the centre over rising inflation and unemployment, accusing it of having no intention to bring relief to the masses. “People are fed up with rising inflation, unemployment under the BJP government. The AAP government has shown that inflation can be contained and jobs can be created. Delhi’s inflation is the lowest at 4.7%,” he added.
He said that they have a vision for the whole country, and the party is only a medium that will help achieve it. Kejriwal said that he envisions a country that is a global education hub, where no one sleeps hungry, where underprivileged get top-class education-healthcare and become rich.
He said that for his party, it is the country that always comes first, “Our family comes in next and the individual comes after that. Secondly, we are all “kattar imandaar” – citizens who are honest. The party was formed from the fight against corruption.” Other AAP leaders also expressed concern over national security as the party’s national council passed a resolution to stop rising imports from China on the occasion.
AAP’ Delhi convener Gopal Rai said that a proposal was passed regarding the security of the country, to control inflation and to make an employment policy to get rid of unemployment. “The more China intrudes in our country, the more Centre increases imports from China. We will appeal the Centre to do something about it,” he said.