Kejriwal vs Himanta: Both slam each other's job claims

On Monday Sarma said Kejriwal's claim about 12 lakh jobs will remain a joke forever

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has challenged his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal's claim that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government provided 12 lakh government jobs since it came to power seven years ago.

Sarma alleged that Kejriwal's claim was false as Delhi government has only 1.5 lakh sanctioned posts. "How did you give 12 lakh jobs when the Delhi government has only 1.5 lakh posts? Kejriwal was lying while addressing a meeting just below the Kamakhya temple. I will write a letter to Kejriwal and ask him to clarify this," Sarma told reporters.

This came after Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that Sarma failed to fulfill the promise of giving one lakh government jobs. "There is so much unemployment in Assam, educated youths are roaming around and crying for jobs. Himanta Biswa Sarma promised he will remove unemployment. How many jobs has he provided? The government says there are 25 lakh unemployed persons but the number will be about 50 lakh," Kejriwal on Sunday said in Guwahati.

Also Read | Kejriwal a coward, his heroism confined within assembly: Himanta

Before the 2021 Assembly elections in Assam, the BJP manifesto had promised to provide one lakh jobs in one year but the state government has provided a little over 43,000 jobs so far since then. The Opposition parties in Assam also slammed the Sarma-led government alleging his failure to provide one lakh jobs in one year.

Kejriwal further claimed that the AAP government in Punjab also provided 28,000 government jobs in one year.

Kejriwal promised that AAP would provide jobs to the unemployed youths if the party is voted to power in Assam.

In a tweet on Monday evening, Sarma said Kejriwal's claim about 12 lakh jobs will remain a joke forever. Sarma asked why Kejriwal did not talk about the corruption allegations which he had levelled against him inside Delhi Assembly a few days ago. "I never thought that Arvind Kejriwal was so timid and cowardly," Sarma's tweet said.

On Sunday, Kejriwal further said, "We have set up excellent quality government schools and hospitals. But in Assam, Sarma failed to improve the condition of the government schools. Sarma's wife is running a private school. In a state where the CM's wife runs a private school, no children in government school will get good education," Kejriwal said. When asked about Kejriwal's claim that Sarma's wife is running a private school, Sarma said, "What is the harm if they are doing something with their own money. They have not opened Ulfa camp. They are providing quality education."

The government hospitals also don't have equipment, medicines and people are not getting proper treatment in Assam. I want to take Sarma and show him the schools and hospitals in Delhi, Kejriwal said. Replying to this, Sarma said people of Assam are living in much better condition. "About 70 per cent of people in Delhi live in slums and in very congested areas. At least 50 persons from Assam will go to Delhi as invited by Kejriwal. But we will visit the places where we want to, not where Kejriwal wants to take us," Sarma said.

In fact, the war of words between the two CMs began in August last year when Kejriwal questioned Assam education department's decision to close 34 high schools for poor results. Kejriwal said instead of closing schools, the state government should improve infrastructure and quality of education. A few days later, Sarma announced a plan to invest Rs. 10,000 crores to improve infrastructure in government high schools.