Referendum should be started to decide if public money be used for 'rich friends or common man': Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Countering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that freebies will increase the burden of the taxpayers of the country, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said that taxpayers would feel cheated only when their tax amount will be used to waive loans of some of “friends” of the (BJP).

He further said that taxpayers are not being cheated by giving free education to their children and providing free medical treatment to them.

“I feel, taxpayers would feel cheated when their tax amount will be used to waive loans of some of friends of (BJP). Taxpayers think that the government took money from us and imposed GST of food items, including milk, curd and waiving loans of their rich friends and gave tax rebate to them. A common man will feel cheated. So, taxpayers are not being cheated by giving free education to their children and providing free medical treatment to them but they feel cheated when loans of some friends of (BJP) are waived. Had loans of Rs 10 lakh crore not been waived, the country would have not faced loss today,” Kejriwal said.

The AAP chief also suggested that a referendum should be started to know whether government funds be used for a family or for some “friends” or for providing facilities like good education, schools, hospitals, roads to common people.

Prime Minister Modi earlier today reiterated his concern over electoral freebies and said that such things would prevent the country from becoming self-reliant and would only do a disservice to the nation as it hampers investment in new technology.

“Anyone can come and announce to give free petrol and diesel if their politics is self-centred. Such steps will take away rights from our children and prevent the country from becoming self-reliant. It will increase the burden on the taxpayers of the country,” he said after dedicating second-generation ethanol plant worth Rs 900 crore at Panipat to the nation.

Prime Minister Modi had last month cautioned people against what he called a “revadi (sweet) culture” under which political parties seek votes by promising freebies and said this could be “very dangerous” for development of the country.

Last week, the Supreme Court had asked stakeholders like the Centre, Niti Aayog, Finance Commission and the RBI, to brainstorm on the "serious" issue of freebies announced during elections and come up with “constructive suggestions” to tackle it.

The apex court said that no political party will oppose such handouts or like to debate it in Parliament as everybody wants this practice to continue.

The Centre has said the freebies distribution inevitably leads to future economic disaster and the voters also cannot exercise their right to choose as an informed, wise decision.