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Centre wrote off loans of 'friends', waived taxes worth Rs 5 lakh crore of super rich people: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Addressing an online briefing, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the country’s money is for the people of the country, not for waiving off the loans of friends of politicians. “It is for the first time in the history of the country that the Centre, justifying their Agnipath scheme, said that they are doing it so they do not have to pay pensions to defence persons anymore,” Kejriwal said.

TN City Desk

Updated Aug 11, 2022, 16:45 IST

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal further said that it never happened in the past 75 years that a government taxed basic food grains. (File image)

Photo : PTI

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday veiled a sharp attack at the Centre for opposing free schemes for people, saying it wrote off loans of 'friends' and waived taxes worth Rs 5 lakh crore of super rich people.

Addressing an online briefing, the chief minister said that the country’s money is for the people of the country, not for waiving off the loans of friends of politicians.

“It is for the first time in the history of the country that the Centre, justifying their Agnipath scheme, said that they are doing it so they do not have to pay pensions to defence persons anymore,” Kejriwal said.

Centre has time and again repeated that they do not have money, Kejriwal said, adding that it has decreased money that was given to states.

“Tax being collected is much higher as compared to 2014 but they have no money. Where is the money going?” asked the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

He further said that it never happened in the past 75 years that a government taxed basic food grains. “Tax over petrol and diesel is over 1000 crore. They are now saying all free things by the government should end, fee should be charged in the government schools, hospitals. They are saying free rations to be stopped,” Kejriwal said.

Something seems seriously wrong with the government’s finances, the way it is opposing free schemes for people, he said.

“Where did all money of the centre go? They are forgiving loans of their friends with this government money. They have even forgiven taxes of their billionaire friends,” he added.

On Wednesday, Kejriwal demanded that a referendum be held on whether the taxpayers’ money be spent on providing good education, healthcare service and other facilities to people or on one's family and friends.

This demand came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Panipat that “freebies” impede India’s effort to become self-reliant and also burden taxpayers.

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