HTLS 2019: Our worst critics now love us, says Arvind Kejriwal on AAP rule in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that the work done by his government in the last five years has turned his critics into his supporters.

“When I came to the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Friday, I met someone who used to flay us. But surprisingly, that person told me that he has become my admirer because of the work done by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the last five years,” Kejriwal said. He was speaking at the 17th edition of Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

Assembly elections will be held in Delhi next year, and will see a direct fight between the ruling AAP and the BJP. In the 2015 assembly elections, the AAP won 67 of the 70 seats and the BJP got the rest, while the Congress drew a blank.

Watch:  ‘Pollution today due to Delhi’s own sources’: CM Kejriwal at #HTLS2019

Kejriwal took the opportunity to highlight the good work done by his government. “In these last five years, I have realised a few things: Governments can be run honestly, elections can be fought and won with honesty. We have proved that.”

“Who would have thought that government schools could be better than their private counterparts? Who would have thought that there would be continuous electricity supply?” he said.

Elaborating further, the Delhi CM said, “More than 300 government school students have cleared IIT-JEE - one of the toughest exams in the country. I recently got a chance to interact with these students and I was amazed by the English spoken by these students. Delhi government schools have performed better than private schools.”

If India has to become a developed country, we have to focus on education, Kejriwal added. “If any party tells you that we can make India this or that, ask them what will they do in the field of education. If they have no agenda on education, they will not be able to do it,” he said.

He also talked about Mohalla Clinics - one of the pet scheme of the Delhi Chief Minister. “The Resident Welfare Association (RWA) in Greater Kailash (in South Delhi) invited me to their programme. They asked me to open a Mohalla clinic. I was taken aback by the fact that people in GK want a Mohalla clinic. But they insisted, and we opened not one but two such clinics there,” said Kejriwal.

Mohalla Clinics are being discussed the world over, former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon even visited one when he came to Delhi, he said.

The AAP has expressed confidence that it will return to power because of Kejriwal government’s schemes providing subsidised water and electricity supplies as well as free ride to women in public buses.