New Delhi: Delhi BJP on Sunday dubbed ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal as a "dictatorial anarchist" while condemning his government's controversial circular threatening action against the media for any defamatory news. Terming the circular as "draconian", Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyay said it was a "veiled threat" to the media to stop it from exposing misdeeds of the city government. "BJP has always said that Arvind Kejriwal is dual faced who has no faith in democracy, constitutional institutions, freedom of speech and moral values.
"Kejriwal was always a dictatorial anarchist and after his 67-seat victory his true colours are there before the people and media to see," he said. The Delhi BJP chief said the day he accused the media of playing the issue of a farmer committing suicide at an AAP rally for TRPs, it was clear that Kejriwal could "stoop to any low to save his face".
"This draconian circular is a part of his anarchist ways to gag media and political opponents alike," he said. Upadhyay said that the Delhi BJP will launch an agitation against the circular tomorrow which will continue till the AAP government withdraws it. "We will also raise the matter before the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung," he added.
The AAP-led Delhi government has asked all its officials to lodge a complaint with Principal Secretary (Home) if they come across any news item which damage the reputation of the CM or the government, so that further action can be initiated.
Read: AAP government asks officials to initiate action against defamatory news items
Meanwhile, Congress accused him of being a "hypocrite" and "anti-democratic". "When there is criticism of the government, when the wrongdoings of his government is exposed by the media, the Chief Minister is taking objection to that. This shows the anti-democratic attitude of the Chief Minister," Congress leader P C Chacko said.
According to the circular issued by the Directorate of Information and Publicity Department, if any officer associated with the Delhi government feels that the published or aired news item damages his or the government's reputation, he should file a complaint with the Principal Secretary (Home).
Ajay Maken, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President, said it was "weird" that Kejriwal is doing everything opposite of what he used to say before elections. Stressing that this was not happening for the first time, Maken said, "As soon as his party came to power, he had stopped media's entry in the building (Secretariat). He should not have a problem with the media as his party came to power with their help".
