“Corporate tax cut has benefitted only one percent corporate in the country. How can mid-day meal, which feeds twelve crore children be termed as a freebie while there is no discussion about the corporate tax foregone by the Centre. If Revari culture is too bad then when will the Gajak culture end?” Vallabh asked.

The Congress spokesperson also said the country is fed up more with the smoke and mirror culture or in other words -- jhoot ki gathri – culture being practised by the ruling BJP. “After two days from now, we will be celebrating 75 years of independence. We would like to remind the Modi government of the promises made for the year 2022. Housing for all, doubling of farmers’ income, bullet train, the promises just go on and on,” Vallabh said.

Meanwhile, responding to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's comment that the Delhi CM is giving a perverse twist to the freebies debate, Delhi finance minister Manish Sisodia bashed the Centre blaming it on “dostvaad” model of governance.

“Two models of governance have clearly emerged. One is people in power benefitting their friends and family, in which loans and taxes are waived off and it is then termed as development. In the other model, revenue raised from taxes is being deployed towards developing schools, hospitals, and ensuring quality education, treatment and medicines and providing electricity and other government services. We are essentially investing in the people. Developing economies are strong only because they have invested in the citizens of their nation,” said Sisodia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month stoked the freebies debate by saying that there is an effort to bring a culture of garnering votes through freebies in the country. The PM’s comment during a public event in Uttar Pradesh was an apparent jibe against the AAP, which is trying to make inroads into upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat. AAP has since then upped the ante against PM Modi's remarks.

Kejriwal on Thursday slammed the central government's handling of the economy while raising concerns on reduction in states' share of taxes and pruning of the MNREGA allocation among others.

In a televised statement, Kejriwal said, "Centre collects taxes, including ₹3.5 lakh crore per annum on petrol, diesel. But it is against free education and healthcare. Why is it that the centre is citing a lack of funds for paying pensions to soldiers? Something seems wrong with the central government's finances." The FM responded to Kejriwal saying that the Delhi CM is giving a perverse twist to the entire debate on the freebies.

housing for all

Freebies: Cong brings 'Gajak' angle to ‘Rewdi’ debate as Centre-AAP spat deepens