Open Drains, Broken Roads: Rahul's Ground Reality Check in Delhi

New Delhi — Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday launched a campaign to criticize the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's governance model in Delhi. Gandhi visited the Rithala area, highlighting the disparity between the AAP's promises of a world-class city and the reality on the ground.

During his visit, Gandhi sarcastically remarked, "See the city, this is Delhi, this is shining Delhi, the Delhi which looks like Paris." He surveyed the area, noting the open drains, filth, and broken roads.

The Congress party has been using the issue of Delhi's infrastructure, particularly the poor condition of roads and drainage systems, as a major campaign point in the lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections. The party posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Arvind Kejriwal had promised to make Delhi shine like Paris. But, all his claims turned out to be hollow. Today, the people of Delhi are forced to live in clogged sewers, overflowing drains and immense filth."

This criticism is a direct challenge to the AAP's own campaign promises and aims to highlight the Congress party's track record on development during Sheila Dikshit's tenure as chief minister. The Congress party stated on X, "Congress party’s promise is – we will return clean and beloved Delhi to the people of Delhi. We did it, we will do it again."

Gandhi's foray into the Delhi election campaign trail began with a rally in Seelampuri on Feb. 13. During this rally, he criticized the AAP government on several issues, including inflation, the treatment of Dalit and minority communities, and accused them of making false promises.

Kejriwal responded to Gandhi's remarks by stating that he would not comment on the abuse, emphasizing that his focus is on serving the country, while Gandhi's is on saving the Congress party.