Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (January 22, 2025) said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government must dedicate the upcoming Budget to the middle class, which, he added, “has become just an ATM for the Centre”.
The former CM said the Delhi government had extended various benefits to the middle class in healthcare and education, among other sectors, and asked the Centre to do the same. He made seven demands from the Union government, including allotting 10% of the Budget each to education and health.
Hitting back at Mr. Kejriwal, Delhi BJP MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Praveen Khandelwal, in a joint statement, said that after “neglecting” Delhi’s middle-class citizens for over 11 years, the AAP chief had now addressed them for the first time.
“People from the middle class, especially the traders, pay the maximum revenue to the Delhi government. Yet, Arvind Kejriwal has not given anything to them in the last decade. In fact, it is due to his misrule that traders are buying electricity at the highest commercial tariff,” it read.
‘Peculiar relation’
The former CM said that the promises made by Delhi’s ruling party ahead of the February 5 Assembly election, such as monthly aid for women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana and free treatment for senior citizens under the Sanjeevani Yojana, will also help the middle class.
“The relationship between the Central government and the middle class is quite peculiar. These people do nothing for the middle class, but whenever the government needs something, they target the middle class and impose taxes on them,” Mr. Kejriwal said, addressing a press conference.
He added, “The middle class pays billions in taxes, but what does it get in return? Nothing. The Indian middle class has become just an ATM for the Centre.”
‘Delhi model’
Talking about the AAP government’s achievements, the former CM said, “We increased the expenditure on education from ₹5,000 crore to ₹16,000 crore. We improved our government schools so much that four lakh children have moved from private schools to government schools in Delhi.”
The AAP national convener also demanded that the Centre stop levying taxes on health insurance and essential items, and raise the tax-free income ceiling to ₹10 lakh.
Under the new tax regime, no income tax is payable up to the annual income of ₹7 lakh.
“For senior citizens, there should be strong retirement and pension plans and free healthcare at private and government hospitals across the country. I also demand that the Centre resume providing 50% concession for senior citizens in railway fare,” he added.
Mr. Kejriwal urged people from the middle class to voice their concerns on the portal – middleclassmanifesto.com.
Earlier in the day, the former CM alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had taken over the BJP’s campaign in the national capital fearing defeat in the upcoming poll and accused the Delhi police of “campaigning for the BJP”. The police in Delhi report to the Union Home Minister.
