Once attributed the title of "the most active MP in Delhi", the former five times Parliamentarian Jai Prakash Aggarwal claims that his touch with the people of the Chandni Chowk constituency hasn't gone despite losing two times to the BJP candidate from 2014 to 2024. Aggarwal also didn't shy away from slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi' on his comment on "magalsutra" by calling it "inauspicious".
The veteran Congress leader, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the eighth time, shared that he felt hurt by PM Modi's speech at a rally in Banswara, aimed to hurt the Congress' prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections. "What is this language he is using? That too coming from a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister himself sometimes speaks in such a way, which is very inauspicious. I was very hurt by his statements personally," said Aggarwal.
He also attacked the BJP on using central investigative agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Opposition leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "If someone has done something, let the legal system take its own course and punish the culprit. What is this approach of the BJP to use a stick to suppress the opposition? Why is the Government involved in this? You ask people on the streets and they will say 'Modi ne band kara diya Kejriwal ko' (Modi has locked Kejriwal up). Is this the kind of impression you want to leave?" he remarked.
Aggarwal, who is fondly referred to as JP bhai or JP, alleged that no single question has been asked in Parliament regarding the Chandni Chowk constituency. "This means there is no single problem in the area? They have failed to identify any problems here, that too with seven MPs from the national Capital," he said. The Gandhi confidante said that when he was given the responsibility to fight from the seat, he began with looking at the projects that were pending in the area.
However, he claims that no work was started in the area during the ten years of BJP MP Dr Harsh Vardhan. Despite his opponent Praveen Khandelwal having a considerable connect with the trade groups because of his association to Confederation of All Indian Traders (CAIT), Aggarwal states that he hardly cares about what face is on the opposition and more about the work the party or the candidate has done for the area.
"I do not care who stands opposite me. Merely, saying that I am this or that doesn't matter. It matters what you have done for the people. What has the BJP done for the traders in the area? In fact, their condition has deteriorated. Have you raised a single question for traders? Traders were harassed, shops were closed after 9 pm and to make it even worse you built a mall there to shut down these traders' business," the former MP said.
Sharing his roadmap for the area, he said that he has 20 major plans for the area, however, he will do every work that he deems fit to be done for the betterment of the public no matter how small or big it may be.
"I have my own vision. Chandni Chowk is a tourist hub and there should be special facilities for them. I want to uplift the trader's community in the area who were harassed in the BJP's 10 years rule. There should be a redevelopment plan for the ISBT area. We need to work on our outer areas where multi-storey flats, plotted areas and JJ clusters are there and solve their issues also. Further, many students come here to study and hence PGs are very important to them. We will work on all this along with other issues," the 79 years old Congress leader said, adding that he will also work on building a super-specialty hospital and various parks.
He also mentioned the 100 years old Roshanara Club in Shakti Nagar which was sealed last year in 2023 alleging that it was the saffron party who did so. "I will work on reopening that for the people of Delhi," he said.
While the feud in Congress has now come out in the open, with the former Delhi Congress Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely and others like former Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chauhan joining BJP on Saturday, Aggarwal claims that the alliance with AAP remains strong. "We have a very strong coalition. In my area, I respect the AAP workers and they respect me. There is no problem and the coalition is looking to sweep all seven states in Delhi," he said.
Aggarwal, who first won his Lok Sabha ticket from the Chandni Chowk constituency only in 1984, said that he will always be there for the people of the area, regardless of anything.
