Centre taxing poor while waiving off for rich: Kejriwal attacks

New Delhi: Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre is burdening the poor with more and more taxes while waiving the same for the rich, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged on Thursday. Kejriwal, also the Delhi Chief Minister, unleashed the attack amid the battle between BJP and Opposition over "freebies", NDTV reported.

The Union government had called it "revdi culture", a method leaders like Kejriwal use to appease the voters.

Kejriwal said that the Centre brought Agnipath scheme claiming that there is no money for pensions. The country was never left with no money to pay soldiers their pensions since the Independence, Kejriwal said.

He asked where the Centre's money had gone after states sharing it a part of the taxes. He alleged that the Centre is collecting twice-thrice the amount of taxes it collected in 2014.

He said that India is about to celebrate 75 years of Independence.

"The Centre has taxed gehu-chawal of the poor, which has never happened. It is a cruel thing to do. Tax on gehu, tax on chawal, tax on gur, tax on lassi, tax on paneer...how did it get so bad that the Centre has to tax the food of poor people?" NDTV quotes Kejriwal.

During the inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway in July, PM Modi had stated that "revdi (sweet) culture" or gathering votes promising freebies is harmful to the development of the country. Other BJP leaders, following the PM, attacked Kejriwal for freebies claiming that it has put severe pressure on Delhi's public finance.

To this, the Delhi CM had responded that his government's schemes, which BJP calls freebies, have rescued people from poverty and provided them quality services such as health and education.