Kejriwal attacks Modi govt: Over Rs 1,000 crore spent on ads for 2-year celebrations

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for over expenditure on advertisements marking the completion of the central government’s two year in office. “Modi government spend on ads for just one event 2 year bash? Sources- more than Rs.1,000 crore,” Kejriwal tweeted. “All Delhi government departments total spend less than Rs.150 crore for full year,” he said in another tweet.

Modi govt spend on ads for jst ONE event 2 yr bash? Sources- more than Rs 1000cr

All Del govt depts total spend less than 150cr for full yr

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 26, 2016

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief has been on loggerheads with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of overexpenditure on advertisements. The AAP government had also faced flak from the opposition parties over printing advertisements during the second phase of the Delhi government’s odd-even scheme in the national capital between 15 to 30 April. In the recent past, the issue of paid news was raised in Rajya Sabha by BJP leader Vijay Goel who said paid news has affected the media’s credibility. Ironically, Leader of House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had insisted on a structured debate on the issue in Rajya Sabha. Terming the concept of paid news as an “aberration”, Jaitley said: “Advertising is the right of everyone… But when the government starts excessive advertising, where is the dividing line between excessive advertisement and bribery.”