 "Arvind Kejriwal")
Amid allegations of harbouring separatist ideas in Punjab, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday hit out at his political opponents, saying the man they called "terrorist" has built 12,430 smart classrooms in government schools in the national capital.
The AAP national convener said all the "corrupt" people of the country have teamed up against him, an allegation that comes a day before the Punjab assembly election in which the Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as a key challenger to the ruling Congress in the state.
Kejriwal said he was fulfilling the dreams of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh.
He has come under attack from the BJP and the Congress after former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas accused him of supporting separatists in poll-bound Punjab.
Kejriwal has dubbed Vishwas's allegations as "laughable", saying he (Kejriwal) must be the "world's sweetest terrorist" who builds schools and hospitals.
Speaking at the inauguration of 12,430 smart classrooms in Delhi government schools on Saturday, the chief minister said he was working to better the education system and the healthcare infrastructure.
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"I have dedicated these 12,430 classrooms to the country. The person, whom they are calling a terrorist, has made such schools where the children of the poor and rich study together.
"The person, whom they are accusing of terrorism, is fulfilling the dreams of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh," he said.
To support his claim, Kejriwal said in the last seven years, the AAP government has built 20,000 classrooms, more than those built by all the state and central governments put together during this period, the chief minister claimed.
The AAP supremo said his dispensation was ready to help state governments in improving their education and health infrastructure without the consideration of political ideologies for the welfare of the country.
"I am making an offer today. We are ready to loan our Education Minister Manish Sisodia to any state government, irrespective of whether it is led by the BJP or the Congress if it wants to improve its education infrastructure, Kejriwal said.
Similarly, if any state government wants to build mohalla clinics, well-equipped government hospitals, we are ready to loan our Health Minister Satyendar Jain to it," he added.
Kejriwal's comments came at a time when his party AAP is in the fray in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab and other poll-bound states.
"We do not want to fight elections in every state. We want the country to progress and we are ready to help state governments. We want corruption to end," he said.
Kejriwal alleged that political leaders are scared of schools.
"Hardcore patriots are being produced by these schools. After five-ten years, when they will vote, they will not vote on the basis of caste or religion but for the country's progress," he said.
Kejriwal mentioned freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on the occasion and said, "He had given the slogan Inquilab Zindabad. I am giving the slogan Inquilab Zindabad, Shiksha Kranti Zindabad'.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had claimed that all the corrupt people have teamed up against the AAP and said they would get a befitting reply with the inauguration of 12,430 modern classrooms in city schools.
In a tweet in Hindi, he also said the country will not bow down before these corrupt people and move ahead.
"All the corrupt people of the country have teamed up against us. Today, we will give them a befitting reply by inaugurating 12,430 modern classrooms in Delhi schools.
"This country will not bow down before these corrupt people. The country has decided. The country will move ahead. The dreams of Baba Saheb and Bhagat Singh shall be fulfilled," the chief minister said.
On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Centre has taken "serious" note of a pro-Khalistan group's letter extending support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The letter purportedly written by the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Gurmukhi was forwarded to the Union home minister by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi along with a personal note saying the matter was "serious" and compromised the security and integrity of the nation.
Shah in his reply to Channi's letter said no one would be allowed to play with India's unity and integrity.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also asked Kejriwal to clarify if the allegation levelled against him by his former party colleague Kumar Vishwas was true.
Kejriwal had on Friday said leaders of the BJP, Congress and their allies have joined hands to target him over Vishwas's accusations which he dubbed as "laughable".
AAP leader Raghav Chadha had already described Vishwas's allegations as "malicious, unfounded and fabricated.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
