New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Harsh Malhotra on Tuesday welcomed the state government’s decision to add 300 new electric buses to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet.

Malhotra, who also serves as the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, said that the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has set a remarkable benchmark by bringing 2,386 new electric buses to Delhi in just 16 months of governance.

“In complete contrast, the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government failed to purchase even a single bus during its 10-year tenure, thereby failing miserably,” the Delhi BJP President added.

He said that today the DTC operates a clean, pollution-free public transport system comprising a total of 6,297 buses, including 1,759 CNG buses and 4,538 electric buses.

He added that after Shenzhen and Beijing in China, Delhi today possesses the world’s third-largest fleet of electric buses.

Malhotra also trained his guns on Kejriwal for questioning the introduction of E20 fuel by the Centre and writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and vehicle makers over alleged concerns of ethanol-blended fuel damaging engines or reducing mileage.

He said that it is astonishing for the people of Delhi and the country to see Kejriwal questioning fuel quality today, despite having made virtually no contribution during his ten years in power towards making Delhi pollution-free or strengthening the city’s public transport system.

He added that as the Punjab Assembly elections approach, Arvind Kejriwal’s fear of losing power is becoming increasingly visible.

The Delhi BJP President said Kejriwal’s shocking remarks seem to be an effort to remain politically relevant in the media.

“Kejriwal is speaking on every issue — from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination to fuel quality but continues to remain silent on the growing drug menace and crime in Punjab, as well as the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s alleged disrespect towards the Sikh faith,” Malhotra added.

–IANS

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