Free ki revri reaches US: Kejriwal takes dig at critics, cites Trump's promise on power tariff

Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal

Citing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's promise to halve electricity costs, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal took a dig at his political rivals on Friday, saying "free ki revri" has now reached the United States.

Addressing the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday, Trump vowed to slash energy prices and expedite environmental approvals to boost electricity capacity if elected.  "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 places on earth to build a factory," the former US president said in a post on X.

Reposting the message on the microblogging platform on Friday, Kejriwal said, "Trump has announced that he will reduce electricity rates by half. Free ki revri reach US." Kejriwal is often attacked over subsidised electricity and water supply in Delhi by his political opponents, who accuse him of using "freebies" to win votes and creating an unsustainable burden on the government's finances.

However, the AAP chief and his party maintain that their policies, such as free electricity and water, are vital for uplifting the poor and ensuring equitable access to basic services.

Addressing a public meeting last week, Kejriwal said, "I am giving six free revri — power, water, bus rides for women, pilgrimage for the elderly, health and education — to my two crore people of Delhi so that I can make their lives happier." "The revri belongs to the public. I am distributing it among them," he added.