New Delhi witnessed a fiery critique from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders as they marked the first anniversary of the BJP-led Delhi government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. AAP’s prominent voice, Manish Sisodia, branded the year as a complete letdown, accusing the administration of betraying Delhiites at every turn.
Speaking at a press conference flanked by Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and MLA Kuldeep Kumar, Sisodia unveiled a poster screaming ‘One Year, Delhi in Distress, Missing Kejriwal.’ He charged that promises made to women, youth, middle class, and the poor have all evaporated into thin air.
The most glaring betrayal, according to Sisodia, is the unfulfilled pledge of Rs 2,500 monthly aid to women, touted to start from March 8, 2025. ‘A year on, not a single penny has reached their accounts,’ he thundered.
Air quality woes reached historic lows this year, Sisodia claimed, with the government allegedly tampering with AQI monitors by relocating them and spraying water nearby to fake better readings. Yamuna river cleanup efforts were dismissed as a sham, with ‘fake Yamuna’ displays meant to dupe the public.
Education has suffered immensely, he said. Private schools hiked fees by 30-80%, yet no action was taken. Government school budgets were slashed, elite ‘Schools of Specialised Excellence’ scrapped, and innovative programs like Happiness Curriculum and Entrepreneurship Curriculum axed—initiatives launched under former CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Healthcare and jobs took a hit too. Over 100,000 temporary workers lost jobs, bus marshals promised permanency were discarded, mohalla clinics shuttered, and free medicines/tests in hospitals halted.
On housing, the slogan ‘Jhuggi where, house there’ turned into demolition drives. Around 800,000 ration cards cancelled, widows’ and elderly pensions stopped.
Crime stats are alarming: 800 missing persons in January’s first half, multiple murders daily. Roads riddled with potholes, sewers overflowing, garbage mountains untouched—Sisodia painted a picture of a city in chaos.
‘Delhi is reeling under this government’s failures. People miss Kejriwal’s effective governance,’ Sisodia concluded, urging a return to proven leadership.