On Arvind Kejriwal's "Nobel Prize" Remark, BJP's "Check Mental Health" Jibe

Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, while defending his tenure as Delhi Chief Minister, said he deserved a Nobel Prize for governance. Delhi BJP responded sharply with a jibe, calling the comment delusional and saying he should "get his mental health evaluated".

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva launched a scathing attack on Kejriwal, saying, "He can only get a Nobel Prize if it's for corruption, anarchy, and inefficiency. Arvind Kejriwal should get his mental health evaluated because he is someone against whom multiple FIRs have been lodged in various corruption cases. He looted Delhi, and the people of Delhi have rejected him. If Kejriwal talks about getting a Nobel Prize, all you can do is smile and listen."

The jibe came after Mr Kejriwal's remarks at a public event in Mohali, where he released the Punjabi edition of the book 'Kejriwal Model' by AAP leader Jasmine Shah. 

Speaking to supporters, Mr Kejriwal said, "For as long as our government has been in power [in Delhi], we weren't allowed to work, yet we still managed to deliver. I feel I should be awarded a Nobel Prize for governance and administration."

The former Delhi Chief Minister doubled down on his claim, citing infrastructure and welfare projects launched during his tenure. 

"We worked despite constant obstruction from the Lt Governor. Mohalla Clinics, free electricity, education reforms - all were done despite resistance. I deserve recognition for governance under duress," he said.

He further attacked the current BJP government in Delhi, accusing it of derailing the flagship schemes of AAP for public services. 

"Mohalla Clinics are being shut down, free medicines and tests are discontinued, roads are broken, and six-hour power cuts are back. They're not here to serve, they're here to profit."

Mr Kejriwal also framed his governance as a larger ideological shift. "My goal was to change the mindset and prove that schools, hospitals, electricity, and water services can be fixed with the right intent. We did that."

The Nobel remark, however, has added fuel to an already polarised political climate. BJP leaders are accusing him of self-glorification while under investigation in multiple cases, including the liquor excise policy scam.

While AAP leaders sought to portray the statement as tongue-in-cheek and symbolic of the struggles their government faced, the BJP has latched onto it as a sign of what it calls Mr Kejriwal's "political detachment from reality."

With elections looming in AAP-ruled Punjab, the war of words is unlikely to cool off soon.