New Delhi: There was a new twist to the face-off between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa as the former dispatched MLA Raghav Chadha to the coastal state for a public debate on the electricity models of the two governments.
Before he landed in the state, Chadha said he was travelling there after accepting Goa Power Minister Nilesh Cabral’s offer of public debate. However, Cabral has denied ever making the offer, and the video the AAP posted on Twitter to make the claim seems to back the minister’s statement.
Goa's BJP Minister takes a u-turn on debate against AAP on electricity.
Why is Nilesh Cabral running away from debate with @raghav_chadha? pic.twitter.com/Rm3RUZ2xBH
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 16, 2020
This latest exchange comes days after the chief ministers of Goa and Delhi — Pramod Sawant and Arvind Kejriwal — engaged in a social media battle on who is managing their jurisdictions better.
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‘Never challenged anyone’
The ‘public debate’ tussle began on 12 November, as Chadha posted a video clip of a press conference addressed by Cabral where the minister, speaking in Konkani, seeks to explain how the electricity model in Goa is better than in Delhi, where subscribers get free power in certain bracket. He then says he is ready to sponsor a flight ticket for anyone willing to come to Goa to study its power model.
Goa Power Min, Sh Cabral challenges Delhi electricity model (in which ppl get 24hr uninterrupted power free of cost). He wants to have a public debate
Mr Cabral, I will reach Goa by 2pm on 17Nov. Kindly intimate time & venue anytime thereafter,where I shud come for public debate pic.twitter.com/Pz1Z2tsbO9
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) November 12, 2020
In his tweet, Chadha said Cabral wants a public debate on the two models. He said he would reach Goa by 17 November for the debate, and asked Cabral to specify the time and place.
In the ensuing days, the AAP questioned the minister’s silence and claimed the BJP had asked him to not go ahead with the “debate”.
Mr. Cabral,
I am reaching Goa tomorrow by 2 pm on your invitation, to have a public debate with you, on Delhi electricity model vs Goa electricity model. I haven’t yet heard from you about the place and time of the debate where I should come.@DrPramodPSawant https://t.co/onjJMpJ5ha
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) November 16, 2020
BJP high command is not giving permission to Goa Power Minister Cabral for the debate, which was originally his idea. I now urge BJP high command as well as Mr Cabral to readily accept this challenge and let me know the venue & time of this debate: AAP leader Raghav Chadha https://t.co/UpII1s954Q pic.twitter.com/EkeblCLGml
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2020
The AAP reportedly even put up hoardings in Goa as a build-up towards the debate.
As he took off from Delhi Tuesday, Chadha said, “I hope Goa Power Minister will not withdraw his public debate challenge, despite his party high command’s displeasure.”
I have boarded the flight to Goa. Will be landing shortly. Eagerly look forward to a healthy debate on 'Kejriwal's Electricity Model' Vs 'BJP's Electricity Model'
I hope Goa Power Minister will not withdraw his public debate challenge, despite his party high command's displeasure pic.twitter.com/G7deOtO4Pa
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) November 17, 2020
On landing in Goa, he told mediapersons at the airport: “I decided to come here for the debate so that people can understand the merits and demerits of both the Kejriwal and BJP model of electricity.” He added: “I believe the BJP higher authorities have reprimanded the move… scolded the chief minister of Goa and asked him not to indulge in any such public debate. Now imagine…a chief minister who cannot even participate in a simple debate or allow his minister to participate in a debate, how will he govern a state?”
Talking to ThePrint Tuesday, Cabral said, “I never challenged anyone for a debate or anything. Some AAP leader from Goa said the state government should follow the Delhi model, to which I just responded that the Goa model is superior to Delhi and if they want, they can come here and study it. They took it as me challenging them.”
Even if he were to hold a debate, he added, it would be with the Delhi power minister and not “just some party leader”.
“As per protocol, why should I debate with just some party leader? I can speak to their power minister. Or if any common citizen from Goa comes to me for answers, I can speak to them because I owe it to my citizens,” he said. “Nevertheless, if anyone from AAP wants to come from Delhi, let them come to my office like a regular visitor.”
‘A gimmick’
Goa BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade has dismissed Chadha’s visit as “a publicity stunt, nothing else”.
“Is this an election for them to come and say let’s hold an open debate? If that leader has left, let him come. We will show him all our documents.”
He added, “But at the end of the day, AAP fared poorly in the Goa elections last time, and its performance will be even worse the next time.”
The AAP had contested 39 of Goa’s 40 assembly seats in the 2017 assembly elections but lost deposit on 38.
The opposition Congress has also taken a dim view of Chadha’s trip, with party leader Alka Lamba saying AAP’s priorities are misplaced. “At a time when there is a massive spike in Covid-19 cases and so much pollution in Delhi, AAP leaders have time to step out in the name of expansion,” she said. “They can’t even handle the crisis in Delhi and are so confused and Raghav Chadha has time for this.”
With inputs from Manasi Phadke
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No freedom to debate and discuss also ..hilarious