AAP government under fire for setting aside Rs 500 cr for ads; Prashant Bhushan to move SC

NEW DELHI: Arvind-Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government found itself in the midst of yet another controversy, with reports suggesting that the Delhi government has set aside Rs 526 crore for advertisements.

Delhi government has reportedly set aside the money to fund its radio advertisements over the current financial year, in which Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will address the people of Delhi and share his government's work.

The ads, which will run with the tagline 'Jo Kaha, So Kiya', will refer to his party's pre-poll promises and the steps taken by the government to implement them.

Congress, BJP and former AAP member Prashant Bhushan slammed the Kejriwal government, attacking it for reportedly hiking allocation for information and publicity. The Opposition accused AAP government of spending public money on "self publicity", saying that this amounted to corruption.

Watch: Opposition attacks Kejriwal led govt for hike in budget for publicity, AAP clarifies




"They (Delhi Government) have set aside Rs 526 crore just for information and publicity and last year only Rs 24 crore was spent for the same. They have cut budget from various other infrastructure development works and they are spending money on their own party workers and consultants. Is it not a form of corruption by spending more money on self publicity?" Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee ( DPCC) chief Ajay Maken said.

Former AAP leader Prashant Bhushan also criticised government's move. He alleged that Arvind Kejriwal government's new FM radio ad was a contempt of court and the issue would soon be brought to the notice of the Supreme Court.

"The TV advertisement brought in by Kejriwal government was in complete violation of the Supreme Court's order and it amounts to contempt of court. To think that you can do anything by way of radio advertisements because it doesn't carry a photograph would be total misunderstanding of court's order.

"If the radio advertisement is used to publicise and promote a party, government or a political leader, that would be in violation of Supreme Court's order and it will be soon brought to the notice of the court that this is how political parties are violating the spirit of court's order," Bhushan said.

Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay also alleged that Kejriwal is using the money of the tax payers for his PR campaigns.

"Kejriwal has been questioning the other parties and the Chief Ministers but when anyone questions the Delhi Government Kejriwal becomes two faced. Kejriwal has been saying that other parties spend extra money. There has been a RTI revelation on the amount of money which has been spent on 1031 helpline," Upadhyay said.

"There is no count of the number of crores he has spent on the helpline. And now, he is preparing to spend money on the advertisements. Kejriwal is using the tax money of the people of Delhi for self projection and self PR," he added.