Jaishankar slams AAP, says Delhi ‘left behind’, ashamed to admit city lacks basic amenities

People living in India’s national capital lack basic amenities and the city has been ‘left behind’, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said during a public interaction in Delhi ahead of the assembly polls.

Launching a blistering attack on Delhi’s AAP regime, Jaishankar said he feels “ashamed” to admit abroad that residents of the city are deprived of water, electricity, gas cylinders, and healthcare, reported India Today.

The Union minister’s comment come amid strong anti-incumbency wave against Arvind Kejriwal and his party AAP.

"Whenever I visit foreign countries, I hide one thing from the world. I feel ashamed to go abroad and say that people living in the national capital do not get houses, do not get cylinders, or piped water under Jal Jeevan Mission and do not get the benefit of Ayushman Bharat,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying by India Today.

“It is unfortunate that in the last 10 years, Delhi has been left behind. The residents of Delhi are not given their rights to water, electricity, gas cylinders, and healthcare. If the government here does not give you your rights, then on February 5, you should also consider changing this government,” Jaishankar asserted.

Jaishankar claimed that as the nation's capital, Delhi should set an example for development, but it has been lagging behind for the past decade.

Speaking at an election rally in Delhi on Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the AAP of corruption and harbouring illegal immigrants.

He asserted that there was a strong wave of opposition against the party in the city and criticised the AAP for running a "3G" government—"Ghapla (corruption), Ghuspaithiyon ko panah (sheltering intruders), and Ghotala (scams)."

BJP leader Anurag Thakur also took aim at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of making excuses instead of delivering on promises. The former Union Minister expressed confidence that the BJP’s 'lotus' symbol would triumph in Delhi.

Criticising the AAP for its failure to provide clean water, electricity, healthcare, housing, and other essential services, Shah said it was regrettable that the city had been “left behind.”

He urged voters to elect a new government in the upcoming polls.

Delhi will vote on February 5 to elect 70 Assembly members in a three-way contest between the AAP, BJP, and Congress.

The BJP has been attacking the AAP government, claiming it has failed to address basic civic needs despite a decade in power.