New Delhi:

Ahead of the upcoming 2025 Delhi assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Virendra Sachdeva on Wednesday wrote a letter to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to give up his “bad habits of lying and cheating.”

“All of us, since our childhood, take a resolution on New Year’s Day to give up bad habits and do something good and new. Today, on the first day of New Year 2025, all the people of Delhi hope that you will bring about meaningful change in yourself by giving up your bad habits of lying and cheating,” Mr Sachdeva, the Delhi BJP chief, wrote in his letter.

#WATCH | Delhi | State BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva reaches a post office in Delhi to post a letter to AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Reciting the letter, he says, “On the first day of the New Year, the people of Delhi hope that you give up your habit of lying and… pic.twitter.com/WYMEAs3XUA

— ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2025

He asked Mr Kejriwal to take five resolutions, demanding an apology from the people of Delhi for promoting liquor in Delhi.

The BJP leader also asked Mr Kejriwal to stop making “false” promises and stop playing with the sentiments of women, elderly and religious people.

“I trust you will never swear falsely on your children again. You will publicly apologise for the false assurances given regarding the cleaning of Mother Yamuna and the unpardonable crime of corruption. You will pledge not to meet donations from anti-national forces or take donations for political gains,” Mr Sachdeva wrote.

प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री @Virend_Sachdeva का पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल को पत्र! pic.twitter.com/poRXsiO9oG

— BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) January 1, 2025

Mr Sachdeva further suggested that the former Chief Minister of Delhi keep away from “lies and deceit” by improving himself.

This comes after Mr Kejriwal wrote a letter to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, raising several questions related to the actions of the BJP, including whether the RSS thinks that the ruling party is weakening democracy.

In the letter, Mr Kejriwal sought clarification on various issues concerning the BJP’s conduct and its impact on democracy.

Mr Kejriwal asked Mr Bhagwat whether the RSS supported the wrongdoings of the BJP in the past. He also questions the practice of BJP leaders openly distributing money and whether RSS supports the BJP in buying votes.

Additionally, Mr Kejriwal raised concerns about the large-scale cutting of Dalit and Purvanchali votes, asking if the RSS believes this is right for democracy.

Earlier on Monday, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate voters in Delhi, specifically in the Shadara constituency, where she claims BJP leader Vishal Bharadwaj submitted applications for the deletion of voters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

As the new year begins, many may wonder about the banking schedule for the first day of January 2025. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced closures in multiple regional offices to mark New Year’s Day and other regional celebrations.

RBI Closures on January 1, 2025

According to the latest holiday list, on January 1, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India will be closed in the regional offices of Aizawl, Chennai, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Kolkata, and Shillong in observance of New Year’s Day, Loosong, and Namsoong. These holidays are specific to the respective regions, marking cultural and traditional events.

Additional Bank Closures in January

Apart from the New Year’s Day closure, RBI regional offices will also be closed for several other occasions throughout January:

• January 2, 2025: The RBI will remain closed in Aizawl and Gangtok to celebrate Loosong, Namsoong, and New Year festivities.
• January 6, 2025: In Chandigarh, RBI offices will be closed for Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday.
• January 11, 2025: Aizawl and Imphal will observe closures for Missionary Day and Imoinu Iratpa.
• January 14, 2025: RBI offices in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Itanagar, Kanpur, and Lucknow will be closed to mark Makar Sankranti, Pongal, and other regional festivals.
• January 15-16, 2025: The RBI will be closed in Chennai for Thiruvalluvar Day and Uzhavar Thirunal.
• January 23, 2025: The RBI offices in Agartala, Kolkata, and Bhubaneswar will close in observance of the Birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Vir Surendrasai Jayanti.

Scheduled Bank Holidays

Additionally, all scheduled and non-scheduled banks will observe public holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Bank customers in these regions should plan accordingly and check with their respective RBI offices for any specific changes to banking hours during this period.