Arvind Kejriwal's zinger as Donald Trump vows to slash energy costs by half

Arvind Kejriwal drew a parallel between his own promise of freebies and a similar pledge made by former US President Donald Trump to make a point about the universal appeal of such subsidised services.

In Short

• Donald Trump pledged to halve US electricity costs if elected
• Kejriwal used Trump's electricity promise to highlight 'freebies' appeal
• Kejriwal earlier challenged Modi to implement free electricity in BJP states

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, often attacked for offering what his opponents call "freebies," used a promise by US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to make a point about the universal appeal of ‘revdi’.

Trump, speaking at the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday, pledged to halve electricity costs within a year if elected. He tweeted, "I will cut the price of ENERGY and ELECTRICITY in HALF within 12 months. We will seriously expedite our environmental approvals and quickly double our electricity capacity. This will DRIVE DOWN INFLATION, and make AMERICA and MICHIGAN the best place on earth to build a factory."

Retweeting Trump's message, Kejriwal said, "Trump has announced that he will reduce electricity rates by half. Free ki revri reach US," , "Trump has announced that he will reduce electricity rates by half. Free ki revri reach US."

This comes on the heels of Kejriwal's own challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On October 6, during a public meeting, Kejriwal said he would campaign for the BJP in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections if PM Modi implemented free electricity in all 22 states ruled by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Kejriwal also called out the BJP's "double engine" governments, alleging they are failing across the country. "The people of the country have understood that double-engine government means inflation, unemployment and corruption," he stated.

Theformer Delhi Chief Minister has been touting subsidised services in the national capital, such as free electricity, water, education, and healthcare, as his "six revris" for the people. He warned that if the BJP comes to power in the Delhi Assembly polls, these free services would be discontinued.

Kejriwal's approach has been a bone of contention, with BJP leaders accusing him of promoting a "revdi culture" for electoral gains. However, AAP argues that these policies are in favour of the poor and are part of a broader welfare agenda.