BJP cries foul over Kejriwal's photo on DTC tickets

 BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and filed a petition before the Lokayukta against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his photograph being carried on tickets meant for free bus rides for women passengers in DTC and cluster buses.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party said the BJP is getting involved in trivial matters.

Speaking to the media, Gupta said he has submitted a memorandum regarding blatant misuse of power by Kejriwal as he sought intervention of the L-G.

"We demanded the L-G to ensure that CM withdraws his move to print his photograph on the tickets," Gupta said along with MLAs O.P. Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan and ex-MLAs Kapil Mishra and Anil Baijal.

Delhi government has announced free DTC bus rides for women passengers from October 29, for which they will be issued a pink ticket without paying anything.

He said the LG assured the BJP delegation that he would get the matter examined and take appropriate action accordingly.

Gupta said they submitted in the memorandum that though Delhi government claimed it to be a move meant for the benefit of female passengers, "the intentions of the AAP government are anything but noble as they have once again used the taxpayers' money for their own political benefit. The pink tickets issued to the female passengers are printed with CM Arvind Kejriwal's face on them."

"This has been done bypassing all official channels for a scheme that comes under government's purview," said the memorandum.

It further said that the "astonishing fact is that despite an established electronic ticketing system in all DTC buses, these pink tickets are being handed over to the passengers manually."

Gupta said the "supposedly public welfare scheme" is not a personal scheme of Kejriwal. "It is funded by the hard-earned taxpayers' money and should not be used to further one's own political ambitions. It is not only immoral but also illegal."

Later in the day, Gupta also said that Lokayukta Reva Khetrapal will hear the BJP's petition on Wednesday against the misuse of power by Kejriwal and Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot in the printing of the photographs on the tickets.

Gupta, along with BJP MLAs and ex-MLAs, filed the complaint before Khetrapal on Tuesday.

He said the BJP leaders had urged the Lokayukta to hear their petition on the most urgent basis.

Gupta said Gehlot, with the consent of Kejriwal, has approved the sample of "Women Free Travel Single Journey Pass" on October 11.

"The above said tickets are being printed in huge quantity. The printed tickets are going to be circulated to various depots/officials for circulation. It is important to stop the government from printing and circulation of tickets to avoid the wasteful expenditure of government exchequer. If the move to forestall the printing of photographs on tickets is not immediately taken, the misuse of power for personal glorification will set in motion dismantling democratic process," Gupta said.

The petition highlighted that the printing of Kejriwal's photograph on the pink tickets is not a paid advertisement. "The government has paid no money to the Delhi Transport Corporation for the publication of the same."

Also, the BJP leaders said it has not been announced anywhere that the above matter is an advertisement and no tenders were invited for designing and insertion of the photographs.

Gupta also said that in the petition, they prayed to the Lokayukta that the Delhi government be asked to withdraw the move to print the photographs.

Speaking to the media, AAP MP and leader Sanjay Singh said: "The BJP is getting involved in trivial things. There are photos of the Prime Minister across all petrol pumps in the country. Remove that. There are also photographs of PM on the Ayushman cards."IANS