[1]NEW DELHI: As full-page newspaper ads marked the two-year anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government today, a sharp tweet came from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been accused of spending crores on publicity.
Mr Kejriwal cited sources to allege that the central government has spent “Rs. 1,000 crore” on the ads. He tweeted:The Modi government has planned a mega show at Delhi’s India Gate on Saturday to mark the two-year celebration that will begin with the prime minister’s rally in Uttar Pradesh this evening.
Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi was criticized recently for setting side Rs. 526 crore in its budget for publicity.
The Congress has alleged that the AAP government spent Rs. 100 crore for self-promotion just between February and May. The party said an RTI query had revealed that Rs. 14.5 crore had been spent just on newspaper ads and the rest on TV, radio ads and hoardings. The money, alleged the party, could have been spent by Delhi government on the salary of poor sanitation workers and pension.
In his tweet today, Mr Kejriwal said his government had spent Rs. 150 crore in a full year.
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