New Delhi: Even as CBI raided the house of Manish Sisodia in connection with now withdrawn liquor policy, a New York Times front page article coming on the same day and hailing the Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Arvind Kejriwal's right hand had stirred a political bickering.
While Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal linked the CBI raids on his deputy directly with what he called "appreciation by global media", the Bhartitay Janata Party (BJP) called the NYT article featuring Sisodia "paid news".
"The same day when America's most reputed newspaper NYT has lauded Delhi's model and has published Manish Sisodia's photo on the front page, the Centre has sent the CBI to his residence. We welcome CBI and will cooperate in the probe. The searches/raids were conducted earlier too, but nothing was found. Nothing will be found now too," said Kejriwal in his tweet in Hindi.
In a subsequent tweet, he said that Delhi's model of health and education were being discussed across the world and 'they want to stop it'.
"The whole world is talking about Delhi's model of health and education. They want to stop this. That's why Delhi's health and education ministers are being raided and arrested. In 75 years, whoever did good work, was stopped. That is why India remained behind. But we will not stop the good work being done in Delhi," Kejriwal said.
The BJP however categorically rejected Kejriwal’s claims and said the article is paid.
Sharing the paper cutting of two different newspapers, The New York Times and Khaleej Times, Delhi BJP leaders raised questions how the same article with the same photo by the same author can be published in two different papers.
"Again it has been exposed, same word and same author in New York Times and Khaleej Times. AAP is misusing Delhi people's money to get the photo published by paying money”, former Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari shared the pages of both the newspapers and said in Hindi.
Going a step further, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana called it 'advertisement in abroad'.
"Advertisement in abroad too. The article which Arvind Kejriwal is referring in New York Times, the same to same words has been published in Khaleej Times. Same photo, same language. What an amazing vigyapanjeevi," Khurana tweeted in Hindi.
The unrelenting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rubbished the BJP charges that the articles are paid. Hitting back against BJP leaders, the Aam Aadmi Party challenged them to “get published in New York Times”.
“I challenge them, use whatever money you have, whatever power you have. You try and get an article published in New York Times if you think that is possible,” AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj said.AAP also pointed out that the Khaleej Times article credits the New York Times.
“They are lying on national TV! The New York Times piece credits their staff (Karandeep Singh). In the Khaleej Times, it is written below the article - courtesy New York Times,” Bharadwaj said.
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