'Nobel prize for governance, administration': Arvind Kejriwal stirs political storm, BJP hits right back

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal triggered a political storm by making an outlandish recommendation for himself. The former Delhi CM pitched himself for a 'Nobel Prize for governance and administration'.

That's right. While speaking at the launch of the Punjabi edition of a book titled The Kejriwal Model, the AAP leader said despite repeated attempts to block his government's work in the national capital, his administration delivered effectively. 

"Despite being stopped from working, we performed. I should get a Nobel Prize for governance and administration for doing so much despite there being a lieutenant governor and various difficulties," Kejriwal said.

His recommendation drew the BJP's attention, which dismissed his statement as "laughable". The saffron party accused the AAP national convenor of helming a tenure marked by incompetence and corruption. 

Accusing Kejriwal of self-praise, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said: "Kejriwal demanding a Nobel Prize for himself is laughable. He would have surely received one if there were categories for incompetence, anarchy and corruption."

Furthermore, he listed the alleged irregularities during the AAP rule, including the renovation of the chief minister's residence that ran into thousands of crores, as well as scams related to classroom construction, panic buttons on public transport buses, pension schemes for women, and liquor licensing. 

Reacting to Sachdeva's claims, the AAP said that the BJP should focus on governance instead of name-calling. During his address, Kejriwal defended his regime's track record, stating that the AAP's governance model is built on transparency and honesty.

He further claimed that his party's success in Delhi and Punjab was a result of curbing corruption and saving public money. "Previous governments had claimed that the treasury was empty. But we fixed schools and hospitals and gave free electricity, because we curbed corruption." 

Attacking the BJP, he alleged that since the AAP was out of power in September 2024, services in Delhi have "collapsed". The former Delhi CM even accused BJP MLAs and ministers of being more interested in looting than governance, claiming people have already begun to miss AAP's rule. 

Sachdeva dismissed these claims and commented that Delhiites still remember the "series of scams" under Kejriwal's rule, including the alleged misuse of public funds for his residence's renovation and lapses in essential public services.